Apocalypse: Fate's Next Turn
by Laitaine-Arnostale
Summary: Sabere and the XMen face a terrifying new threat Apocalypse, ancient evil incarnate. New allies join against old enemies, and an unexpected power forces a shattering decision. This is the sequel you've been waiting for! Rated M for violencelang.
1. 1: Daily Danger

A/N: You've been patient. I've been slow, unforgivably slow, and judging by the lack of reviews on the prequel I'm guessing most of you have given up. I probably shouldn't have bothered – my fanfiction phase was pretty much over – but I wanted it finished and I'm happy with the results, clichéd, overdramatic, and fanfiction-y as they are. So now, loyal readers and X-Men fans, with no further ado, enjoy the last chapter of Sabere's story…  
Apocalypse: Fate's Next Turn Chapter 1: Daily Danger 

"Look out!"

Sabere's reflexes failed miserably. A blast of wind knocked her to the ground – lucky, because she had not been prepared to deflect the lasers. Hit the ground, roll, shield – the laser shots were blasted into the walls as Storm summoned lightning to destroy the cannons.

"I thought _you_ were the one with good reflexes," Storm called from the balcony as her gust of wind, Sabere's salvation, died away.

"I'm a bit overextended," Sabere replied dryly. "Thanks."

"Anytime." She jogged off down the balcony – the pair had fallen too far behind to be safe.

They were half the rearguard on this mission. Rogue, who was needed specifically for a task, had been injured and the rest of the X-Men had to get her out. Sabere couldn't see them (which was a bad sign), but she knew that Cyclops and Iceman were leading the group out, and hopefully Rogue was a short distance behind them, guarded by Jean Grey. Further behind Sabere and Storm (though hopefully not too much further behind) were Wolverine and Nightcrawler, the final rearguard. The facility looked like it belonged to a mad scientist – one with a fondness for automatic weapons.

"We should have caught up to them by now," Storm said quietly in her earpiece. Their soft, rhythmic footsteps echoing in the stone and metal corridor were the only other sounds. The halls were too quiet – something else should have tried to stop them after they eliminated the laser cannons – not that she minded the break –

Shouts and explosions echoed down the hallway from far behind them. Sabere stopped and peered back, trying to see what was happening – with the last obstacle out of the way, it meant the men were further back than she thought. She pulled her radio headpiece closer to her mouth. "Should we go back and help?"

"They'll call for help if they need it – keep moving!"

Sabere kept running, then _guns ahead_ her reflexes warned her of the next danger. She skidded to a halt just as another set of laser cannons reared out of the floor in front of her. Gathering her teke powers, she leaped ten feet straight in the air to join Storm on the balcony.

Unfortunately, the cannons followed her.

"Heat-seekers – move!" Storm threw herself forward, Sabere lunged back, and the lasers shredded the balcony between them into hot shards of metal. Storm disappeared with a shriek – she had fallen through. The cannon tracked her fall, and Sabere leaped forward, telekinetically shoving the gun a few inches away from Storm. She was probably already dead, but why risk it – when she still had strength –

The cannon, however, apparently decided Storm was no longer a threat and focused on Sabere, who huddled directly underneath it where it couldn't target her. Storm wasn't moving, and didn't respond when Sabere called her name. She swore and reached for her headset again. "Cyclops, Storm is down!"

"Keep moving. We're running out of time," came the curt, unemotional reply.

A few feet down the hall, another cannon rose out of the floor, aiming directly at Sabere. She swore and launched herself back onto the balcony. Her new shield barely held as both cannons ripped into the wall. The blast threw her off the balcony and into the opposite wall, which she hit and slid down like a cartoon. Dazed, she tried to get a grip before she was shot – she barely had time to register both cannons aiming at her before six claws shredded both, leaving sparking metal parts in their wake. Wolverine had caught up.

"Nice shields," he sighed sarcastically. "I'm not supposed to have your back, kid."

"Well, the one who should is down. And where's Kurt?" They took off running again, leaving the wreckage behind.

"No idea. He teleported off a few minutes ago. If he gets hit, it ain't my – "

He was cut off by a strange whirring sound coming from behind. They turned to face half a dozen hovering robots, heavily armed and aiming for them. Sabere set up more shields, already preparing to run –

And Shadowcat burst through the wall, running her hand through the two nearest robots and completely destroying their circuits. They fell to the ground, useless, but Kitty's phasing power couldn't protect her from the blasts from the remaining robots. She collapsed, badly wounded, but Wolverine grabbed Sabere's arm and hauled her forward.

"How did she get here?"

"How the hell should I know? Kurt must've brought her in."

Abruptly, the dark walls and hovering robots vanished, revealing a massive empty chamber. Now Sabere could see the others several yards ahead. Storm was far behind, but stood slowly, massaging a sore arm. Kitty also got to her feet, unharmed. Sabere looked up to the ceiling, where she knew Professor Xavier had been observing the entire "mission."

"What happened?" she called up. Xavier's voice echoed throughout the chamber.

"Rogue was brought safely through the building. The session is over, and most of you passed. Those who didn't, you know who you are."

Moments later, Xavier rolled through the doorway in his wheelchair. "However, that was, if I may say so, an extremely disappointing session. Three casualties? One serious injury? You can do better than that."

"Who was the third?" Kitty asked unhappily, rubbing her stomach where the robot's "lasers," actually rubber pellets, had hit her.

"Nightcrawler. Logan, you were supposed to be watching his back."

"I was," Logan snapped. "It's kinda hard to guard someone when they won't stay in one place!"

"Yes, but before I died, I brought in a helper," Kurt called from where he hung upside-down from a "laser gun" protruding from the wall. Some of his long indigo hair had escaped his ponytail and dangled around his ears. "You can at least thank me for that."

"Yeah, I died. Thanks a bunch, Kurt," Kitty retorted, grinning.

Xavier shook his head, amused at his charges' antics. An outsider would have been more than shocked at the matter-of-fact way in which this team handled danger. Little would that outsider know that this team was the X-Men, a well-trained group of mutants whose goal was to defend mankind from other mutants who would destroy it, while simultaneously attempting to win the approval of mutant-hating humans.

Unfortunately, the former was far easier than the latter.

"That should be all for today," Xavier announced. "Just do better tomorrow."

"Take out some of the robots and we might do better," Sabere grumbled, still sore from her fall.

"That wouldn't be the point, now, would it?" Xavier smiled. "Go get some rest, and heal up if you need to."

The group left the Danger Room, some groaning from bruises and asking Sabere for help healing.  
"You know my ability doesn't cover bruises," she laughed. "And if it did, I'd wear myself out even more helping all of you."

"Oh, come, you can't spare some energy for a deceased friend?" Kurt begged jokingly. Sabere gave a strained smile – for one, she was almost too tired to joke, and two, that comment hit too close to home. He realized that – maybe they all did – and didn't press the joke further.

Death was not something the X-Men joked about anymore, not when they had suffered losses turned to miracles in recent times. Several years ago, Jean Grey had been killed in combat, and by forces beyond their comprehension, she had been returned to the living. And only three years ago, Kurt had nearly been killed by a bullet, only to be saved by careful medical treatment and his own teleportation ability that had carried him mostly out of harm's way. Sabere noticed how differently they treated each other now; death now appeared to be a very likely threat to the X-Men, and everyone seemed intent on enjoying and treasuring time together.

_/That's probably the corniest thing I've ever heard,/_ Jean thought at her.

_/What did I tell you about eavesdropping?/_ Sabere didn't really mind anymore, actually, but she liked a little warning before someone else's thoughts popped into her head.

_/Sorry. You shouldn't be thinking so loudly./_

_/How do I "think loudly?" Don't you have walls or something?/_

_/Emotions make you think louder./_ There was definitely a sly undertone in Jean's thoughts, but Sabere had a sneaking suspicion as to why. An incredibly brief image of Kurt's face popped in and out of her mind, projected by Jean. Sabere bit down hard on her lip to keep from laughing. _/It's been three years! When are you going to stop teasing?/_

_/When he proposes./_

Sabere coughed with surprise and felt Jean leave her mind with a parting chuckle. Ahead of her, Jean took Scott's hand and winked over her shoulder. The pair stepped into one of the elevators that would take them up to the uniform room.

"Hey, Jean!" Sabere called. She caught the door as it closed, and Sabere raised an eyebrow. "You first."

Jean grinned and let the door close.

Kurt held the door as another elevator opened for them. "What was that?"

She smiled as the door closed. "Nothing."


	2. 2: A Changing Face

Chapter 2: A Changing Face

Logan took his time leaving the Danger Room – he hadn't missed the subtle blushes and concealed facial expressions on the faces of both Jean and Sabere, and if they were making mental romantic jokes he was in no hurry to get involved in them. The two couples got into separate elevators, and Logan crowded into the next with Piotr and Kitty. Unfortunately _they_ appeared to be a fairly happy couple as well. Their eyes kept shifting to each other, and Logan could almost see Kitty's heart pounding in her throat. He almost laughed – what a pair! The huge muscular Russian and the short fiery geek had apparently found young love.

Thankfully the elevator opened before Logan had to intervene with anything, and the two immediately exited stage left. Logan strolled over to the clustered adults, who were bandaging various minor scrapes after changing back into street clothes.

"Ooh, I'm sore." Sabere was saying. "I didn't even get shot and I feel like hell."

"Trust me, you'd hurt a lot more," Storm replied, massaging her side. "I know it's supposed to be 'shrapnel,' but really, rubber pellets shouldn't hurt this much."

"Well, I'm fine." Logan, already completely recovered, smirked and jumped up and down a few times, enjoying the winces on his companion's faces. The ability to heal had far more benefits that just the physical. There hadn't been a training session yet where he hadn't taken advantage of his ability to recover almost immediately, and rub it in his bruised companions' faces.

Storm started to retort but a cloud of blue smoke interrupted her. The smoke swiftly cleared to reveal Nightcrawler, ponytail back in place.

"Ach, death by robots is a painful thing," he grumbled, stretching a little. "How are you doing?"

"Some birthday, huh, elf?" Logan chuckled. "I'm fine – they're not."

Sabere froze, and Logan smirked. _Looks like someone forgot…_

"Something wrong?" Storm asked.

"Oh, nothing…"

"You forgot, didn't you?" Logan tried his best to keep from laughing. "You, of all people…"

"Oh, shush." She turned to apologize to Kurt, but he was already in front of her and had an oversize finger to her lips.

"It's perfectly fine," he murmured, as if reassuring a worried child. "They got me a cake, and that is all I really need right now." He seemed completely serious, and only his laughing eyes gave him away.

"That, and a hot bath," Storm grumbled as she branched away to the elevator to the main school. "Save me cake, okay?"

Kurt heaved a dramatic sigh. "Oh, I suppose I can spare you a very small piece." Logan noted that his eyes had never left Sabere's face.

"Thanks," Storm called over her shoulder.

"Seriously, Kurt, I'll find you a present," Sabere insisted. "It just completely left my mind – I really am sorry – "

"If you keep apologizing, I might change my mind," he chuckled. Then softer, "You know there is only one thing I really want from you anyway."

"Oh, for the love of…I'm leaving." Logan made a face and ran for the uniform room. Kurt's laughter echoed in the hallway with around him as he slammed the door closed.

Lord, the lovebirds were disgusting.

-----

"You are shameless, you know," Sabere told him, grinning, as Logan fled the scene.

He shrugged. "I am allowed to, yes? I am not shameless very often."

"Just enough," she replied, pecking him on the cheek. "See you at dinner?"

"Of course." He kissed her hand with pomp and vanished. Sabere shook her head, laughing silently, and made her way slowly up the stairs to her room. God, she was sore. She desperately wished for Logan's self-healing capabilities, then settled for a hot shower.

A few minutes later she was in a little less pain, and was digging around her room for socks. They had a habit of disappearing…She searched under her bed, trying to keep her towel on, and finally found a matching pair. She stood up and yelped – there was a man standing in her room.

One hand clutched the towel and another went for her knife. The man laughed – a very familiar sound – and held up both hands. "You really don't recognize me, do you?"

Sabere nearly dropped the knife. "Kurt?"

"_Ja._ The look on your face is priceless, by the way."

"Kurt, you…" Sabere didn't know how to put it. It _was_ Kurt – she knew the voice and recognized the shape of the face – but his dark coloring was gone, replaced by normal skin tones, thick black hair still in a ponytail, and brown eyes, and his hands bore five regular fingers. "You look…different."

"I do, don't I?" He held out his arms and inspected his new arms and hands. "Five fingers, five toes, and – " he turned around – "no tail." He lifted one arm, showing off something that looked like a watch. "It was a gift from Xavier. He calls it an image inducer."

"Wow, um…" Sabere was still shocked speechless. She wasn't sure she liked this new Kurt. Something of his personality had gone with the demonic appearance – some sensitivity, some shyness that she had always loved about him. He recognized her uncertainty and pressed a button on the device. Instantly Kurt was back, tail and all, and he watched her with sad yellow eyes.

"Is this better?"

"Would you prefer it if I said 'no?'"

He shook his head. "I am not sure about it either. I feel…quite strange wearing it, but then, it opens up so many possibilities! I can actually go outside now, see the world, and not fear." He sat down on the bed, as if overwhelmed. "You have no idea how amazing that concept is."

Sabere nodded and looked down at her towel-dress. "I really do sympathize, but, um…"

He laughed. "Sorry. I'll let you change. I just wanted to show off."

"I can understand that, but I'm already showing off more than I'd prefer," she replied, sidling back into her bathroom. "And… you do look good. Just…different."

"Of course," he nodded. "I can remember being so jealous of Mystique – she has that power to hide herself, to look…normal, and yet she did not use it. Now…I can be like her."

Sabere grimaced. "Minus the ruthlessness, I hope. Now can I change?"

He grinned and teleported out. Sabere shook her head, still a little shocked by Kurt's new look. She didn't want to offend him – it was obvious that this device opened up thousands of new opportunities, ones that he greatly looked forward to. Besides, he didn't look half bad –

_And you can go on a real date_, her heart sniggered.

Sabere dug out a skirt and her favorite shirt, pale blue with long flowing sleeves. She still felt incredibly guilty about forgetting his birthday, and was determined to make it up to him. As she fastened her silver pendant necklace around her neck, it hit her – she could take him out to dinner, in his new image, and be the first to see the world with him. It would certainly be something he would enjoy – beyond that, relish – and it wouldn't cost a lot. She knew the date-worthy and inexpensive restaurants in New York City by heart. Half of her wiggled like a teen on her first date, and the other half shook her more mature head at her antics. He might not even want to, anyway.

-----

As soon as the door opened, Kurt swung the woman he loved into his arms and kissed her deeply, letting her see exactly how much he loved her. He set her down gently, staring constantly into her green eyes, and knelt to present a diamond ring…

The door actually did open, and Kurt blinked back to reality. Sabere looked magical in a long, flaring white skirt and a low-cut blue shirt. Her brown hair lay perfectly around her shoulders, and she smiled curiously up at him. He had left the image inducer off, since apparently she wasn't as wild about it as he was, but he smiled just the same and presented his arm.

"May I have the honor of escorting you to dinner?"

She smiled and took his elbow. "Of course you may." Then she stopped and took his wrist. "I do have something to offer you. Since I was dim enough to forget your birthday – " She pressed the button on the image inducer, and Kurt watched his hand separate into five fingers and pale to match her perfect hands. "How about a date?"

_A date? Is she serious?_ She appeared to be – she watched him expectantly for his answer. "Your favorite pastime, dinner and a movie?" He hoped he sounded as suave as he wanted to be.

"Dinner, at least."

"Well, of course." _Amazing. Who would have ever thought?_. "Oh…I am going on a date…This is something I have only read about."

She chuckled and took his arm, returning his natural image and leading him down the hall towards the stairs. Kurt hardly paid attention to where they were going – he was in heaven, with an angel.


	3. 3: Visual

Chapter 3: Visual

Storm needn't have been worried about her share of birthday cake. Xavier had procured possibly the largest cake in New York City, large enough so that even the hungriest students (Jamie Madrox sent his doubles in for fourths and fifths) were content. Sabere mingled and chatted, mostly with Storm and Xavier, looking up every so often to see Kurt surrounded by well-wishers. Every once in a while gasps of amazement were heard, and Sabere knew he was showing off the image inducer. The soft murmurs and conversation had a numbing effect on Sabere, and she felt herself drifting lazily through the evening, sleepy and content, like a cat.

She excused herself from a conversation to get some water. The lights in the halls had been dimmed, and dozens of candles had been brought out to light the common room where the celebration was and the hall along it. The kitchen was towards the end, and walking past the dark panels on the walls and seeing her shadow dance in the glow around her was quite soothing. She took her time finding a glass, and stood lazily by the counter watching the shadows in the hall. Familiar quiet footsteps revealed that Kurt had escaped the festivities and had followed her to the kitchen. He peered around the door, his silhouette barely visible against the candlelit wood behind.

"We are going to go on a date, _ja?_"

She squinted at him, puzzled. "Of course."

"So let's go."

"What, now?" She set down the water glass

Kurt shrugged and walked into the kitchen. "Why not? No one will notice."

"Kurt, there are at least three telepaths here. _Someone_ will notice."

"Well, we'll leave a note."

"You're serious about this? Leave, right now?"

As an answer, he wrapped his arms around her and teleported them into the garage.

She opened her eyes, which had been tightly shut out of habit. Teleporting was not her favorite means of transportation. Her gaze fell on Scott's sweet Mazda, and she smiled in spite of herself. At Kurt did look very dashing in that forest-green shirt… _What the hell_.

"Okay, fine – but I need money."

Kurt laughed. "Details." He teleported away.

_/Just be back before dawn./_ Xavier's wry astral voice entered her head.

_/Do you burst into everyone's head, or am I just special?/_

_/Sabere, wait./ _ This was a different voice – feminine – Jean's, but distressed. Her "words" were blurring in Sabere's mind, confused and anxious colors melding with the plain emotions in Jean's mind. _/There's something going on. I don't know what, or where, but – be careful./_

_/Should we stay in?/_

_/No, no…I'm probably overreacting…/_ A frown and dark brooding blue washed across Sabere's mind. _/Just be careful./_

_/Okay…/_

Kurt reappeared in the garage, beaming, apparently ignorant of the strange message from Jean. "Shall we?"

She felt a smile grow and relaxed a little. "Of course."

-----

The evening was not going as smoothly as Sabere had hoped. Maybe it was just Jean's warning, but something was bothering Sabere. She couldn't ignore the sensation of being watched. _Maybe this is what Jean was talking about. Maybe someone here knows who we are, and they're waiting to catch us off-guard – God, this must be how a fish feels in a tank with a cat sitting outside – this is no cat, this is a tiger – tiger and mouse – it's that powerful, I wish I knew what it was – you need to focus, you're overreacting – _

"You have not eaten a lot."

Sabere actually jumped a bit and looked down at her plate in surprise. She was so preoccupied that she had hardly touched her salad. "I'm sorry…I just – " She lowered her voice. "I feel like there's someone watching me, and I can't get over it."

Kurt frowned. "Should we leave?" She couldn't bear to tell him about Jean's feeling. He was having a great time. Sabere couldn't ruin it with her unfounded paranoia.

"No, I think it's fine, it's just…annoying." She cast another glance around the restaurant – there _was_ someone watching her, she could feel it.

Now Kurt looked a little amused. "Are you sure you are okay? Is there a riot about to start?"

"Kurt, I don't think it's human!" she hissed, ignoring his chuckles.

"What, aliens?" He grinned, brown eyes twinkling. "Is there something watching you?"

"Kurt, for the love of – "

A brilliant blue light flashed outside the building, blue lightning, more blinding than a star. She twisted away from it, cowering in her chair. The restaurant's patrons cried out, turned away in sync. Sabere looked up in horror, staring wildly out the window, around the tables, eyes sweeping over the frantic humans. It was here, watching her now, looking for her – it knew exactly what it wanted now, it just had to find it –

"Kurt –"

Another flash, red, blinded her, and amid more screams Sabere fell to the floor, trying to hide from the presence. A memory surfaced, uncalled-for – Kurt, training, the knife in his shoulder, her hands, her power, healing him, healing the presence – another memory, drawn casually from the back of her mind like a file in a cabinet, Rogue's leg at the military base, more healing, more powers flowing – the red lightning grew hotter, blinded her, singed the air around her, glowing white – the presence vanished.

Sabere sat up. A man crouched in front of her, terrified – she knew the face – _his eyes are different – _

"Sabere? Sabere, say something, what happened?" A German accent. Kurt.

She couldn't answer him; she was exhausted. The painful light echoed in her mind, blinding her senses, weakening her – what happened here?

"Sabere, we're going to get you home, hold on – "

_I'll try –_ He couldn't answer her thoughts, but it was all she could manage. Barely coherent, she let him haul her to her feet. She staggered out of the restaurant, leaning on him, letting him guide them through the crowds of frightened and puzzled people. _The watcher did this,_ she tried to shout. _He was watching me, he wanted me, and he did this! _

Her only comfort was that the watcher was gone.


	4. 4: I'm Scared

Chapter 4: I'm Scared

Warmth. She couldn't stand it. It reminded her too much of the light.

In her mind, Sabere threw off the covers and flung open the window to let the cold night air in, but she was weaker than she thought. Nothing moved. _God, get it off me_ – The light threatened to overwhelm her again –

_/It's all right, Sabere,/_ Xavier's thoughts consoled her. She was too weak to open her eyes. Cool air brushed her arms as he pulled back the covers, and she sighed in relief. _/You're back at the mansion, and you're going to be fine./_

She managed a small nod before the light faded and she drifted back into sleep.

-----

"Professor, I don't know. There was the light, and we all cowered, everyone, we did not know what it was – but – she would not get up – I did not know what to do – "

"But there was never anything besides the light?"

"No – the blue flash, and then red. I do not know. Will she live?" Kurt's voice, his words broken and usually careful English barely understandable.

"Of course she will. She's exhausted, and as far as I can tell, it was because she used a great deal of her healing powers. Are you sure you weren't unconscious, and just didn't – "

Kurt interrupted Xavier angrily. "Of course I am sure! I was there, I saw everything, and I know she collapsed after calling for help!"

"Kurt, calm down." A female voice broke in gently – Storm. "Can you think of any possible way she would have been using her powers?"

A sigh – "No. I do not know."

Sabere had to tell them. They were going to sit there and argue about whether or not Kurt had been unconscious while Sabere healed the equivalent of a small country, and she was too tired to sit and have more nightmares about the lights. She wanted to tell them what happened, and she wanted answers.

"Wait – she's awake." Xavier spoke softly. Instantly they were at her bedside, looking down at her, worrying. Sabere tried to breathe, to speak, but she was still so tired…

A fresh, cool breeze blew gently across her face from Storm's open palm. "Does that help?"

Sabere managed a nod. "I didn't heal anyone – intentionally. There were…the lights…and – I felt like something was watching me. No, that was before – I felt like something was watching me while we ate…measuring me…and then there were the lights. It read my mind…it made me remember when I healed people, and I felt like it was using that power…what did it do to me?"

Xavier sighed. "We don't know. I was hoping you would have a more illuminating explanation – "

"Professor?" Jean's voice sounded over the intercom in the hospital room. Sabere winced away from the loud, mechanical voice. "Hank McCoy is on the phone – it's important."

"Thank you, Jean." Xavier rolled away to the phone. Sabere closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, still trying to wake herself out of the fog. When Kurt sat down on the edge of the bed, she was distinctly aware of the uncomfortable tilt and pressure on the mattress. And still the light was haunting her…She forced herself to focus on Xavier's conversation.

"Hello, Hank…No, we've had a very interesting night…really?...oh, Lord – " He whispered anxiously away from the phone. "Storm, turn on the news – yes…no, I can see where you would get the idea…and it may fit with what happened in New York tonight…you haven't heard? Strange lights, two bright flashes – yes – yes – oh, the pyramids! Hank, what's happening?"

Sabere couldn't find the strength to lift her head and see what was on the television mounted on the wall. She reached out a feeble hand for Kurt's arm, then jerked it away when he looked down at her – he was still unrecognizable under the image inducer.

"Sorry," he whispered, and pushed the button. The demonic face had never been more reassuring, but the news was still flickering that blue light –

"What's going on?" she whispered

Kurt looked back at the screen. "Something in Egypt – the pyramids are glowing. Hold on…the anchor says it's like they've been rebuilt – witnesses say they shimmered or something, and all the stone became like new – and then they started glowing with that blue light, and they're been like that since."

"Hank, that's impossible…It's been millennia! Surely he must be dead and gone…I suppose there's some way…oh, of course…God…if it is, Hank, what will we do?...Of course….yes, please do. We could use your knowledge…yes, bring anyone. Good-bye, Hank."

Xavier hung up and sat staring at the screen. The room waited in silence. Storm chewed nervously on her lip, eyes flicking back and forth between Xavier and the freakishly glowing pyramids. "What does it mean?"

"I have a horrible suspicion, and everyone must pray I'm wrong. Dr. McCoy is taking the 'copter up here now, and we will get to the bottom of this as soon as we can. Meanwhile, Sabere, you must try to rest. You've had a trying night, and we may all need our rest in the coming weeks. I am going to Cerebro to see what I can uncover." He left the room quickly, and Storm, after one last glance at Sabere, followed him out. The newscast still glared the horrible blue light into the room.

"Turn it off…God…that light…"

The room was delivered into darkness as Kurt shut off the news. "You should rest," he said quietly, taking her hand. "I do not know what happened, but…you must get better."

"I want to know what's going on," she whispered weakly. "I'm scared…I don't know what happened to me…"

He hushed her gently, and she saw his faint outline bend to kiss her forehead. His hair brushed her cheeks, and she clung to the feeling, trying to remember that this was the present, not an alien light. "Kurt – "

"Shh." His hand traced the edge of her face and brushed her eyes closed. "Sleep."


	5. 5: Apocalypse, Now?

Chapter 5: Apocalypse, Now?

"Good, you're up. Maybe _you_ can talk some sense into Xavier."

Sabere rubbed her eyes and glared at Logan. "You're lucky I'm awake at all. Why does Xavier need to be talked to?" Sabere staggered into the kitchen where Logan was sitting alone. Her sleep had been plagued with the worst nightmares imaginable. Gone were the flashbacks to Andy's death, although now she would have gladly returned to those dreams. All through the night, visions of the red and blue lights and swarmed her mind, and the watchful tiger feeling tormented her nonstop. What was worse was that the lights had changed shape – the red lights sometimes collected themselves into eyes, furious red eyes that followed her sleeping mind. Sabere grabbed for a cup of coffee, desperate for anything to bring her back to reality.

Logan finished off his coffee in one gulp and jerked his head in the general direction of Xavier's office. "He's been locked up with Dr. Hank McCoy since dawn, and no one's been in to see what the hell they're doing. Barely got to meet the guy."

"Yeah, who is he?" Sabere slumped into a chair, massaging her temples.

"Apparently he's one of Xavier's many mutant contacts outside the school."

"He's a mutant?"

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Apparently you haven't even seen him yet, because the answer to that is pretty damn obvious. His code name is Beast, and he's kinda gorilla-shaped, only covered with blue fur – "

"Well, blue's not an unusual color around here – "

" – and he's _brilliant_. Quotes Shakespeare whenever he can, genius chemist and mathematician. He says it's natural, nothing to do with mutation, but I ain't so sure."

"So…" Sabere stifled a yawn. "So why is he here?"

"And there's the rub." Logan stood up to pace the kitchen. "Only Xavier knows, and he hasn't come out to tell us." He hesitated, then looked back at her. "So, what happened last night? All I got out of the other blue guy was that you collapsed after there were some weird lights – "

"I don't want to talk about it," she said, more abruptly than she intended. Logan nodded and turned away. Sabere couldn't bring herself to apologize.

They sat quietly at the table, sipping coffee and trying to avoid each other's glances. The minutes ticked by.

_/X-Men, you can finally get your answers. Come to my office immediately./­­_

_-----_

Xavier's "office" was, at the moment, more akin to military headquarters than a regular office. The professional desk and furniture were all still present, but massive televisions had rotated out of the walls from under paneling and paintings. Several computer consoles had risen out of the floor, complete with wide keyboards, hundreds of switches and buttons, and three-dimensional displays. In front of one sat Xavier, who sat frowning at a large three-dimensional globe marked with several red dots. Someone who could only be Beast stood next to him, pointing up at Egypt, where clusters of dots made the country glow angrily. Sabere looked quickly away and focused on the dark wood of Xavier's desk, but couldn't resist studying the visiting mutant. He was probably over six feet tall standing, but his body structure was similar to that of an ape, so he hunched over with long arms touching the floor. He was entirely covered in shaggy, dark blue fur – _why is it all oddly-colored mutants are that shade of blue? –_ but he was wearing a professional suit. The effect would have been comical if his blue eyes didn't contain amazing intelligence and curiosity. Like Kurt, there was obviously more to this man than met the eye.

A quiet _bamf_ announced Kurt's arrival, and Sabere turned happily to meet him, relieved to see he had left the image inducer off today. "How are you doing?" he asked quietly, standing near her.

She reached up and pushed some of his long dark hair back behind his ear. "Not sure yet," she replied softly, relieve by the presence of someone she knew would support her. "I think we're in for some bad news."

Xavier turned his wheelchair around to face the gathered X-Men. "I'm not going to sugarcoat this – we are in trouble. Last night's events in the city seem to only be the beginning of something massive." He indicated Beast, who grinned and waved. "For those who haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting Hank McCoy, or Beast, here he is; I only wish you could have met him under better circumstances. Hank is here with his theory – "

"It's not a theory, Charles, it's happening," Hank interrupted, rolling his eyes.

" – Hank is here to help explain the reemergence of Apocalypse."

If they were expecting gasps of horror, they were disappointed. Sabere was only vaguely relieved by the fact that for once, she was not the only one who didn't know what was going on. Apparently none of the X-Men had ever heard of Apocalypse.

Hank pressed a button on one of the consoles, and the hologram globe world map zoomed in on northern Egypt, while the neighboring monitor displayed images of Egyptian paintings and hieroglyphs, all depicting frightening rays of light emanating from pyramids, cowering people, and a huge central figure that had been almost entirely chiseled off of all the paintings.

"History lesson for the day: Egypt, about five thousand years ago. Enter a horribly deformed baby found by nomads in the desert. Their leader, Baal, apparently recognizes the potential of this baby and names him En Sabah Nuhr, which means 'the first one.' "

"Oh," Storm murmured. "The first mutant?"

Beast nodded. "The first, and unquestionably the most powerful. His training and difficult nomadic lifestyle put him in the mindset of 'survival of the fittest,' only taken to the most extreme level."

"Great," Logan groaned. "Sounds like he's right up Magneto's alley."

Beast gave him an evil eye, apparently not appreciating the interruptions, then continued. "When Apocalypse was still a teenager, he overthrew the pharaoh and set out to take over the world. He did pretty well, and for a couple centuries he dominated most of the ancient world, Egypt, Europe, the Middle East, even most of China. But after about three hundred years – " He shrugged. "He just disappeared. Some of these paintings suggest that he was assassinated, but that seems highly unlikely. Other depict his suicide, several grisly methods, actually, but that also seems unlikely. It's commonly believed by those who have studied him that he overreached himself, both in mutant powers and geographic influence. Some records suggest that when he tried to activate some possible latent powers within himself, his experiment backfired and he put himself out of action."

"But somehow he had enough consciousness remaining to wait for the right mutant to restore himself." Xavier looked directly at Sabere. "Do you remember what I said about your healing gift when you first came here?"

"You said it was the first time it had been manifested in this form," she answered quietly, realization slowly dawning over her.

Xavier nodded. "The timing was just right. A mutant with the external healing capability entered the world, and Apocalypse had enough strength to harness that power for himself and essentially bring himself back to life."

Sabere shook her head, refusing to believe that she was the cause of this. "There are thousands of mutants in the world – one of them has to have the same power. Why couldn't he pick one of them?"

"He probably chose you because your gifts manifested in a mostly mature form. Because your powers surfaced later than ordinary mutants, you already had the level of strength and maturity needed for him to use your powers for himself."

She shook her head and sank down into one of the leather chairs, horrified at the sickeningly perfect timing of it all. Andy's accident brought about her mutation, and a few years later an ancient mutant had the perfect source to revive himself. She couldn't believe it.

"That's why you were so exhausted – basically, you brought a man back from the dead."

She chuckled humorlessly, shaking her head still and feeling her eyes fill with tears.

"That doesn't make it your fault," Beast added quickly. "Apocalypse controlled your mind and stole your powers. It has nothing to do with you."

"The bastard," Logan said quietly. "So a super-evil, super-powerful mutant who was supposed to be dead thousands of years ago used Sabere's healing powers to wake himself up, and is now out to take over the world?"

"He can't be that powerful," Storm argued. "With so many more mutants in the world now, and with the world population so much larger, plus all the industrialization – he can't possibly conquer it all – can he?"

Jean shook her head slowly, staring unfocused at the floor. "I felt something wrong last night…like…an eruption. There are always earthquakes, you know, and built-up pressure before an eruption…and that's what it felt like. He has actually been waiting for quite some time…and then his opportunity came…and now he's fully revived."

"Even if he's this powerful, and as strong as you say, can one man alone do something like this?" Storm insisted.

"Not alone – he'll have his four Horsemen with him," Beast added.

Kurt snorted. "Clever man."

"Hmm?"

"In the book of Revelations, the Four Horsemen were responsible for destroying the world during the Apocalypse. They were called War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death."

"Oh, yes, very clever – sick bastard," Logan grumbled.

Hank nodded. "Indeed, Apocalypse's original horsemen had those names, but they were all killed – "

"Apocalypse was, too – "

" – by Apocalypse himself," Beast finished. "Apparently they displeased him. We can assume now that he'll need replacements, but they could come from anywhere. He may find some local mutants to serve him, or he may kidnap other, more powerful mutants from around the globe."

"Would he come here?" Storm asked.

"It's doubtful. He knows we'd fight him. Why waste his time when there are more agreeable – or weaker – mutants he could use?"

"Like Magneto." Scott looked up suddenly. "Apocalypse wants to have mutants rule the world, doesn't he? He's the answer to Magneto's prayers. Hell, he's probably already signed up!"

"Even if he hasn't joined ranks with Apocalypse, there is little chance we could dissuade him," Xavier interrupted grimly. "With capable mutants like John and Mystique at his side, Magneto has potent forces that Apocalypse can't afford to pass up."

They sat in silence. Sabere found herself entranced by the angry red lights in Egypt.

"So what do we do?" Scott asked finally.

"We have to attack him now, while he's gathering himself," Storm insisted. "If we wait too long, he'll gather allies and gain more strength until we won't be able to fight him off."

But Xavier was shaking his head before she finished her sentence. "I think that's the last option we have. Apocalypse, in the pyramids, is centralized – he is in the place of his birth, his own territory, and he doesn't have to worry about other lands and conquests. If we were to attack now, he would have nothing to worry about besides deflecting his attack. If we wait for him to spread himself out, he will have more people to control and more chances for him to slip up enough for us to defeat him."

"But how many will die before that day?" Kurt asked. "If we wait for him to dominate, how many will be enslaved of killed under his rule before he 'slips,' as you hope he will?"

"I agree with Xavier," Beast broke in. "We have to wait for his first move. Better for us to see how he operates, than for him to observe our techniques and give him an even bigger advantage over us."

"What about SHIELD? Would they help us out?" Sabere suggested.

"After the Bishop incident, I wouldn't count on it," Scott said grimly.

"Even if they're willing and able to give us some aid, we need to be prepared to take him on ourselves," Beast said. "If we wait, he may think we're not strong enough to take him on, and perhaps be off his guard when we attack."

Xavier nodded thoughtfully. "Then we're agreed. We will observe him and his movements, and wait."

The X-Men nodded, some obviously less comfortable with the decision than others. The lights in Egypt continued to flare angrily, and Sabere dropped her eyes back to the floor. Telling them what was on her mind – that there was probably no way to defeat Apocalypse – would not help anything.


	6. 6: Recovery

Chapter 6: Recovery

Sabere had left dinner as soon as she could. The worried and pitying stares at her were driving her crazy, so she refilled her wine glass and went up to her favorite balcony to watch the sunset.

The timing was so cruelly perfect it almost made her laugh. She mutated late, and on accident – and just as the most powerful mutant ever had gained enough strength to seek her out. Unbelievable. If they had just crossed the street a few minutes later, if Andy hadn't tripped…

Like she hadn't gone over the possibilities before.

After three years in Xavier's mansion, the old life at NYU as Sami seemed like another person's life altogether. Sabere certainly didn't want to go back – now, three years later, what could she go back to? She had never officially graduated, she had written once to her parents from the mansion (they never responded), and after the incident at Stryker's base and being publicly exposed as a mutant, there were probably few employers in the country, much less New York City, willing to hire her.

_someone behind you_

She spun around to press the edge of her knife against Logan's throat. He jerked away reflexively, and Sabere blushed as she returned the blade to her side.

"Let's see – that's twice you've nearly slit my throat?"

"I'm sorry." She shook her head and looked back out at the setting sun. "I haven't been friendly at all today, have I?"

"Well, you did just find out you're responsible for the rise of the most evil mutant ever – I bet we can cut you some slack."

"Not funny, Logan."

"No, not really…look, I just came – "

"To see how I'm holding up, I know." She rolled her eyes at him. "You know, for playing the tough guy, you seem to be very concerned about _feelings_."

"I'm concerned about _you_," he replied. "There's a lot going on all of a sudden."  
"Yeah? So you've found it in your heart to seek me out to receive your TLC?"

Logan shook his head. "'Kay, you're doing fine. See you later." He turned to leave the balcony, but Sabere folded and called him back.

"Logan, wait – I'm sorry, I'm just – it's weird, you know? I mutated about ten years late, which is apparently perfect timing for this bastard – "

"It sucks," Logan announced. He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. At first she yielded – someone else to lean on, at last – but she knew all she needed about Logan's history with women, and decided she didn't want those comforting arms anymore.

Of course, Kurt chose the moment she drew away to show up looking for her. He had the image inducer on again, and his soft brown eyes conveyed far more emotion – currently, anger and confusion – than usual. Despite the situation, he stepped boldly out onto the balcony as Sabere tried to figure out how to defuse.

"Is everything okay here?" Kurt asked calmly, too calmly.

"Just fine," Logan replied, arms folded chastely. "Just making sure Sabere was doing okay. But – I'll go now."

Sabere looked awkwardly away, rubbing her forehead and waiting for Kurt to say something. Logan's steps retreated down the hall. Kurt leaped silently up onto the railing, an unexpected movement from someone who looked so human, to crouch and look out on the grounds with her.

"How long have you been up here?" he asked quietly.

_Either he's ignoring it or it didn't bother him_, she thought uncomfortably. "Not long – a few minutes. Dinner got too awkward. Plus – " She waved her arm at the sunset. "It's quite a view."

He smiled a little, a fake smile, and even on a different face it made Sabere instantly recognize his unhappiness. She hugged his arm and leaned against it, craning her neck to look up into his face. He stared determinedly at the sunset. "I know what you're thinking – "

"What am I thinking? That you've somehow awakened an evil mutant? That I have been worried sick about you since you collapsed, and even now, I'm frightened for you?" His English was slipping, which happened when he was upset. He finally looked down at her, his hair obscuring his eyes. "That I have thought of little other than you for…hours now, and I find you with Logan?"

"Kurt!" She pulled back a little. "There's…it's been three years, Kurt, I love you, and you know that!" She softened and leaned into his arm again. "I need you."

His head dropped down to rest on hers. He took several short breaths, as if he was about to say something but changed his mind at the last second. The sun was reduced to an orange sliver melted on the horizon when he finally spoke.

"I trust you." She, and she alone, knew how much trust meant for Kurt Wagner. "I love you. But…as much as I love you, you must understand…I have been…betrayed so often that I…"

"I know," she whispered. "I'm honored that you trust me. I know how hard it is for you to give. But you don't fully trust me yet, even after all this time. Kurt, _I love you_. You can trust me because I will always love you."

He smiled, a real smile this time, and in response tilted her face up to kiss her.

"Oh, wait…" He tapped the button on his inducer and suddenly Kurt was back. _Then _he kissed her. _It feels like kissing a shadow_…soft lips, blended into a face that was almost black in the setting sun's light. His hair tickled her face, and for a moment, she almost forgot the new troubles on the horizon.

He drew back and rested his cheek on her forehead, his hand still on her face. "We are going to make it, _Liebchen_. We have been through worse."


	7. 7: The Seer Sees Doom

Chapter 7: The Seer Sees Doom

Sabere must have been gone during whatever the "worse" was Kurt had referred to. Despite the urgency and immediate danger Xavier and Hank felt regarding Apocalypse, and despite the endless news coverage of the glowing pyramids, nothing happened. Days passed, November began, and still nothing happened…which meant more waiting. Waiting meant anxiety, and the X-Men, who had braced for the worst, had to sit through _nothing happening_. They were tense, jumpy, and on high alert almost all the time, waiting for some sign of danger or war that they recognized and could respond to – but nothing happened. There were no more lights in the sky, no attacks, no disappearing people, not even a visit from Magneto. Sabere was even more anxious because of the constant nightmares.

"They're horrible," she confessed to Xavier after Kurt convinced her to try to figure them out. "I feel like all my memories are in a file, and he's flipping through them, reading what he needs to know."

Xavier tapped his lip thoughtfully. "If it wasn't for your recent experiences with Apocalypse, I'd chalk it up to your visions. We know your reflexes are a kind of foresight, and that's what's given you visions in the past – "

Sabere shook her head. "This is very different. If you can, I'd like you to read my mind and see if you can figure out what he wants."

"It may not give us any answers, but I'll certainly try."

So she lay back on the psychoanalyst chair (which always filled her with wry amusement) and tried to relax. Images flickered through her mind's eye, the same images Apocalypse had searched through in her nightmares. Mostly they were of her healing powers, how she had used them over her years with the X-Men, but there were other, more worrisome images – memories of Rogue, Xavier, and others, pieced together to form dossiers of sorts.

_/It's like he's profiling us,/ _she frowned.

Xavier seemed to find this far more disturbing than Sabere did. /_He's researching us his opposition – I don't like this. I'm going to try to put up mental blocks to see if we - /_

_An explosion._

_Cities are burning._

_He's still sick, I can't do anything for him, says the doctor. But we need him!_

_Apocalypse is here, too close, too soon, he should still be in Europe – _

_He's everywhere!_

_New York City. The X-men gather, new faces, new powers, but not enough. The explosion again, enormous, fire, pain – they fall under the giant's red eyes – _

_They're hopelessly overpowered – outnumbered – _

_We need him!_

_He's not here and they are trapped and they will die_

_Trapped_

_Burning, the shining tower, the spear_

_It ends, and the X-Men are dead._

"No!" Sabere sat up screaming, tears flowing. "Oh God, oh God, what happened – "

Xavier sat back, just as horrified. His X-Men were all going to die! No! _No – focus, Charles, focus_.

He took a deep breath and cast a mental net across the school. Every other student who possessed similar foresight abilities was fine, as well as the other telepaths – but Jean was as distraught as Sabere. He reached for Scott, who was of course at Jean's side comforting her.

­_/Scott, what happened?/_

_/She started screaming and just collapsed!/ _His astral voice was panicked and red. _/Something about a battle in a city - /_

_/Get her up here. Bring everyone else, too./_

Sabere took a deep, shuddery breath. She was curled up cross-legged on the couch, hugging herself. Apparently this vision was one of her worst.

"Sabere?" he asked gently.

"Professor – please, I can't stand it – "

The memories still overwhelmed her. He reached out and touched her forehead with a calming finger, sending a relaxing blankness into her mind, clearing out the painful immediacy of the vision.

"Professor – we can't tell them. It will just make everything worse."

It seemed logical enough, but the others were already congregating, and Jean and Scott both already knew. What could he tell them besides the truth? "We don't know if that is truly what will happen."

"It is! When have they been wrong? When have they been anything other than accurate?"

"There have been variations – "

"Variations! So this one will vary enough so we don't all _die?_ Variation my ass!"

Unfortunately Scott and Jean, followed closely by Hank, arrived in time to hear this exchange. Jean was clutching Scott's arm, her eyes red from crying and filled with confusion and horror. "Sabere," she gasped. "Why did you show me that?"

"I didn't!" The rest of the X-Men filed in, so Xavier broke in to give them the full story.

"I was reading her mind to investigate Sabere's nightmares, so I saw the vision as it occurred. Jean, possibly you picked up the vision as another telepath – "

A babble of protests interrupted.

"What vision?"

"The other telepathic students are all fine!"

"What's going on?"

All attention seemed to focus on Sabere, who looked up at them all with wide frightened eyes. Xavier sensed Kurt's painful surge of sympathy but quickly closed the sensation off. Sabere squinted, simultaneously avoiding memories while trying to recall and relate them – telling a story she didn't want to hear.

"Apocalypse had moved. He was already well out of Egypt, still in Europe, but somehow moved to…to New York City. Someone was sick…a male…someone important, I don't know who. We needed him, but I don't know why – there were plenty of X-Men, some new members, I don't know who they were – we met Apocalypse in New York City…"

She shook her head and looked away, fighting back tears.

"Sabere – "

"Professor, please, I can't – "

"What the hell happened?" Count on Wolverine's sensitivity to bring out an answer.

"We died!" she spat.

Utter silence fell. Sabere looked at each other them, anger and fear and grief in her eyes. The X-Men stood stunned, except for Beast, who knew nothing about Sabere's visions.

"So – sorry, I know I'm new but – she had a _vision_, in which Apocalypse killed us?" His tone implied that he did not expect her vision to have any more repercussions than a bad dream, but the others knew better.

"Her visions have been wholly accurate in the past," Kurt murmured dully.

"But they're just visions! She's been having nightmares anyway – "

"_Just_ a vision? It's real!" Sabere snapped, jumping to her feet, fists clenched, finally losing control. "They're always real! We're going t- " She broke off suddenly, as if saying it aloud with such finality would confirm their doom.

_To die._ Xavier looked back at Rogue and Bobby, the newest graduated students, both almost as old as Sabere had been when she arrived and yet neither old enough to have to worry about dying. _But they're X-Men. Death looms over them every day and they don't notice._

He interrupted to despairing silence quietly. "This vision represents the future as it will happen now. Many things could change between now and then – and something may even happen then, during the battle, to change the outcome."

"It all depends on the moment," Hank realized.

"Exactly."

Sabere shook her head. "You're grasping at straws…"

He felt a flare of anger. He was trying to give them all hope, something to hold on to, even though he wasn't sure he believed himself. "Yes, Sabere. There is the chance, and we cannot give up."

Scott looked convinced – mostly. "But what about the sick guy? And why did Jean have the vision too?"

Too much. Altogether too much. "I have no idea about either. Perhaps, as the next strongest telepath, Jean could see it; perhaps she was linked to the dreams; I don't know. And from what we know, the sick man could be anyone." He faked a smile and forced himself to try to lift morale. "I do know you have a Danger Room session scheduled that you might want to prepare for."

The X-Men filed silently out, except for Sabere, who sat quietly on the couch, and consequently Kurt, who had been longing to comfort her the entire time. Xavier gestured for him to wait outside and rolled himself close enough to Sabere to force eye contact.

"We're going to be fine," he insisted softly.

"We're not, and you know it," she whispered. "I know what you're trying to do, and I appreciate it, but it's a lie and you and I both know what is really going to happen."

She stood and joined Kurt in the doorway, where he immediately wrapped an arm around her and led her away. Xavier finally felt the beginning of a headache and sat back in his wheelchair. He had already suspected that Apocalypse would be the end of his X-Men, and Sabere's vision confirmed it. They were going to die – but Charles Xavier was certainly not going to let them lose hope and give up. Not when the fight had barely begun.

-----

_Late in the night she dreams of a power. Nothing specific, nothing definite…but it is there. _

_-----_

Danger Room was freestyle today instead of mission-based, which was a refreshing break from strategizing and formulating. The group simply had to survive a length of time with the obstacles, operating on reflexes, instincts, and teamwork to succeed. Today's arsenal featured everything from automatic machine guns to small missiles to booby traps to flamethrowers. To Logan's dismay, it was all virtual – rubber pellets substituted for bullets and jets of hot air concealed in computer-generated blasts of fire. He still managed to have fun, however, especially when Scott got himself outnumbered by flamethrowers and got torched despite Colossus's best efforts to help him. Logan "diced" another machine gun, dodged a missile that brought down the blue elf instead, and was about to go help Rogue deal with an electrified cage that had sprung up around her when everything folded back into the walls.

"It's a trap!" Sabere shouted. _Gotta love her reflexes._

"_Center_!" screamed Jean, and the X-Men lunged into the middle of the room as thousands of machine guns emerged from the walls. The two women rose into the air, arms and hopefully shields raised, but something else came out of the ceiling –

Tasers snapped onto both of them, and the shock made them both cry out and fall –

Which mean the shields were gone.

Fortunately the simulation ended before they were needlessly gunned down. Even Logan had to cringe at the bruises those guns could have inflicted.

The lights flicked on, signaling the end of the session, and Logan went quickly to Sabere's side. Of course the tasers' shocks had been reduced, but apparently it was still enough to cause considerable pain.

"You okay?" He gently helped her sit up.

"Was the voltage too high?" Xavier asked from the ceiling. Sabere showed him her middle finger as an answer, and he guessed Jean's response was similar. He grinned and scooped her up playfully in his arms. She weighed less than he thought… "Let me give you a hand."

"Logan!" she protested, laughing, but allowed him to carry her out of the Danger Room to the elevators. Neither of them looked back for Kurt.

Outside the elevators, Logan set her down gently, letting his arms linger around her even though she released him swiftly. She stared up at him with uncertain eyes. "I know what you're trying to do."

"You're not trying to stop me, darlin'." He smiled a little and went into the elevator. Maybe she was happy, or maybe she was fuming. He kinda hoped it was the latter.


	8. 8: The First Trumpet

Chapter 8: The First Trumpet

Kurt had to count to ten before leaving the Danger Room. The nerve…both of them! Of course he was ready to kill Logan for even thinking to approach Sabere, but Sabere didn't seem too concerned with thwarting his advances. She may have promised him her love, but if any woman had to choose between him and Logan, there was little doubt who would win. If Logan had finally decided to challenge Kurt for her affections, Kurt may as well wed them both now.

He stopped, ducked to the side, and counted to ten again. _Listen to yourself! Three years together will not be ended so easily. He's just playing_. Playing, indeed…Kurt often likened Logan to a toddler, one who only wanted to play with the other children's toys. Someday Logan would have to fall for a _single_ woman.

When he finally reached the elevators, he was relieved to see Sabere standing arms akimbo, jaw clenched, glaring at the elevator. "I can't believe him!" were the first words out of her mouth. "He's…he…arg!"

"My sentiments exactly, _Liebchen_," Kurt grinned. "But if you don't mind…my shoulder hurts terribly, that missile was not as soft as I was expecting…"

"Probably fractured your shoulder blade…" She laid a hand against his back, letting her eyes unfocus and droop shut. He felt a warmth across his shoulder, and the pain faded – but Sabere jerked her hand away with a small gasp.

"_Was ist es?_" he asked softly, even though he already suspected.

"Just…thinking. It's nothing." She led the way quickly into the elevator. The doors had nearly closed when Scott's shouts came down the hall.

"Wait wait wait! Hold it!"

Kurt whipped his tail between the doors and forced them open again. Scott squeezed in and hammered the button to go all the way up to the main school. "Beast says something's happened in Cairo. Xavier wants us all up there to take a look."

-----

The hasty summons brought the still-uniformed X-Men upstairs in a hurry. The room was bathed in Apocalypse's blue light, and Sabere shrank away from it, taking deep breaths and trying to focus on the newscaster's voice.

"_Mein Gott_…" She forced herself to look back at the screen, and echoed Kurt's exclamation.

The pyramids were still glowing fiercely through shrouds of billowing smoke, and the desert surrounding them was littered with burning tanks and military trucks. Gunfire added a yellow sparkle to the grisly night. Beast muted the telecaster's borderline panicked voice and looked up calmly to address the group.

"What you're seeing is the aftermath of an Egyptian military investigative approach of the pyramids. Several tanks and Jeeps were sent out less than five minutes ago – about eleven PM, their time – to see what was going on, and this happened."

Xavier clicked a button on his desk, and the news rewound. The convoy, still intact, rolled steadily toward the blue pyramids, halting about a hundred yards away. Tiny specks of people climbed out of the Jeeps and spread out in a formation to get closer. Suddenly a blinding flash of blue light filled the room – Sabere grasped Kurt's arm unconsciously – and when the screen cleared, several of the vehicles had been blasted back another twenty yards in wake of a small figure standing just in front of the pyramid.

"Is that _him?_" Rogue asked in horror. In answer, Xavier toggled a switch on his desk and zoomed in. The camera focused on the upraised arms and demonic smile, not of Apocalypse, but of Eric Lensherr, Magneto.

Scott pounded a fist against a chair. "Dammit!"

"I knew it," Logan muttered, scowling at the figure. Xavier zoomed back out but said nothing. The newscast now revealed another small figure on the opposite side of the pyramid, this one apparently throwing balls of fire at the tanks, which were desperately trying to retreat.

"John!" gasped the younger ones, and Sabere had no trouble recognizing Pyro, Xavier's troubled dropout, who seemed to have found – and was enjoying – his new place at Apocalypse's side.

The pair worked with frightening efficiency. Magneto appeared inexhaustible. Tanks slammed violently into each other, stacking up, forming piles, while John flung fire at them and watched the flaming wreckage scatter. The tape fast-forwarded back to real time, and Beast smiled grimly. "You get the idea."

"Wait, didn't Apocalypse ever come out?" Scott asked.

"Nope. It would appear he's chosen to wait it out…for whatever reason.""

"We should go," Storm said immediately. "If it's just Magneto and his friends, we shouldn't have a hard time."

"Yeah, _you'd_ be fine," Logan muttered darkly. "You don't have metal strapped to your bones that can be ripped off and bent and twisted – "

"Then you sit this one out," Xavier interrupted. "I agree with Storm – the fight has ended, and Apocalypse won't expect more visitors. But be cautious, and do _not_ engage Apocalypse if he emerges. There's too much we don't know about him."

Scott, taking this as a dismissal, promptly turned and led the way out of the room. "Good thing you're still dressed – I want the jet leaving in two minutes. We can get to Cairo in less than two hours if we pull a few tricks." Sabere, Kurt, and Storm, who were all still in uniform, followed Scott through the elevators to the hangar. As the immense, sleek black jet loomed overhead, Sabere finally realized what they were about to do, and fear clenched a cold hand around her stomach. She felt sick.

She was going to meet the eyes.


	9. 9: Magneto's Offer

Chapter 9: Magneto's Offer

Sabere's white knuckles nearly glowed in the starless black around them. All lights were off inside the jet, and Storm had enveloped them all in a windblown patch of clouds that sped them on their way to Cairo. The trip had been silent – the seven X-Men were probably lost in their thoughts, or planning, or possibly dreaming, wishing they were someplace else. Sabere tried to brace herself for the lights, which she knew would light up the horizon any moment –

_There you are._ The voice was not hers, but as soon as she thought she heard it – or thought it – it was gone, leaving her to wonder who had just been in her mind, or what she was imagining.

"There they are," came an echo. Scott and Storm brought the jet lower, and the blue light from the distant pyramids flooded the jet. Sabere clenched her jaw. _He's not even there. He won't come out. He doesn't need you anyway, he knows about all the X-Men already, I've revived him, he doesn't need me, he'll leave me alone –_

The jet touched down and her thoughts were broken. Scott pursed his lips as he stood slowly. "Right. The idea is to avoid conflict. It may be just the two of them, but their powers are substantially stronger, and if Apocalypse decides to come out…" He let the threat hang. "Let's go see who wants to talk."

The three pyramids loomed like an alien city before them. Despite the almost blinding intensity of the light, Sabere could make out the individual lines of stone in the buildings, and from what she could see they did appear to be brand new. She could see the outline of the Sphinx behind the pyramids – it had been left alone.

"Storm, knock on the door or something." Storm's eyes glowed white and thunder rumbled over their heads. One fork of lightning stabbed the ground right in front of the pyramid, followed by an even louder explosion of thunder.

Instantly – although Sabere had no idea where he came from – Pyro was outside, fire flaring in his hands, illuminating his maniacal face. He wore a bloodred trench coat over street clothes, and black gloves that must have had fuel lines in the fingers, because his trusty Zippo was gone. "I wondered when you'd come by," he grinned. "We figured you would have come to try to stop us by now."

"John?" Rogue asked hesitantly.

"Not home," Pyro grinned. "Apocalypse has finished what Magneto started for me – I've embraced my destiny, and I'm now completely Pyro. Speaking of, Magneto should be out shortly – he's probably telling Apocalypse to just crush you all like bugs right now."

The older X-Men glanced at each other, all thinking the same thing – John was no longer sane. Scott's fingers twitched a little, and Sabere found the hilt to one of her knives. Just as she had wrapped her fist around it, it jerked out of her hand and whipped around to face her.

"No conflict, he said," drawled a cultured voice, and Magneto stepped magnificently forward, hand outstretched. "So put that away – " the knife returned obediently to its sheath – "and let's chat."

The X-Men didn't move. No one was prepared to back down, but Scott spoke anyway. "You certainly signed up fast."

"You cast such a negative light on our salvation," Magneto smiled. "Do you know what he's going to do? He's going to help us. He'll protect our future."

"He hasn't helped _me,_" Sabere snapped, stepping forward. "He's not going to help any of us! He needs to be stopped, not assisted!"

"Really? I was under the impression you were all going to be killed." Magneto chuckled as the Sabere froze. "He knows your every thought, every vision, my dear, and let me tell you, you've been an immense help."

Sabere whipped out her knife, but again Magneto seized it, and this time pressed the blade up against her throat. She took a step back, but the knife followed her, forcing her to stand on tiptoe so she wouldn't slit her own throat –

"Yes, you've been so helpful that once Apocalypse achieves his goal, he's going to spare you. Oh, he knows why you are all here, and he knows you do not approve of his…tactics, but even Apocalypse is willing to forgive. He has plans for you – and uses for you and your powers in his new kingdom."

She ignored the monologue. "Hey, Kurt – I seem to recall you said he wouldn't be able to control these knives."

Magneto smirked. "Another benefit of embracing Apocalypse's promise before one is forced to. I am not sure how I got here – I believe he showed me bait, and I followed, and brought him three useful servants – his first Horsemen – but he made us even more useful." The blade suddenly pressed deeper, and Sabere felt a warm trickle of blood flow down the front of her neck. "Our powers are magnificently increased. If you stay, if you help him, you will not only be spared, but you will see powers and possibilities you had never even imagined. Apocalypse will help our people."

"By slaughtering millions of innocents and enslaving the rest?" Scott interrupted angrily. "He's not going to spare anyone, not even mutants. He's out to take over the world, and you and your friends are just his pawns. Even you wouldn't – "

"He won't enslave those who are loyal to him – and the wise will choose the right side."

Sabere finally let loose and shoved the blade away with her own telekinesis, sheathing it and launching herself backwards into the air. A barrage of lightning stuck the sand just in front of where she had been, forming a wall of white light between the two Horsemen and the X-Men.

"Let's make this quick and get the hell out of here!" Scott shouted.

The two Horsemen, however, had no intention of making it quick. Storm's lightning vanished, leaving the tang of ozone behind, but Magneto seemed to grow stronger – and suddenly Sabere's knives were both gone, yanked from their sheaths and slashing at her face and chest. She lunged backwards, throwing everything she had into teke shields, but the charge from Storm's lightning was just giving Magneto more to work with – he had indeed been made far more powerful – she couldn't even think about helping her friends, when ordinarily the odds would have been laughingly in their favor – now they were doomed –

_STOP._

The unearthly voice that had "spoken" on the jet now resonated across the sands. Everyone froze, and Sabere stared fearfully into the glowing pyramid. Magneto seemed to listen for a moment, the looked back up. Jean gasped – his eyes were rolled back in his head, and glowing blue. Sabere took an involuntary step back in fear as the voice spoke from Magneto's mouth. _"Leave. There will be no more conflict now. If you stay you will be destroyed."_

Storm shook her head and hissed, "No, Scott, we're here, we can finish this."

But Scott raised his chin and stared back at Magneto – or whoever was inside him. "We're leaving," he said softly.


	10. 10: Death Knell

Chapter 10: Death Knell

"You're lucky you didn't stay," Xavier told them later at the mansion. "It sounds like both Magneto and Pyro are now powerful enough to have destroyed you on his own."

"Yeah, thanks," Kurt muttered. Sabere nodded wearily in agreement – telling the team that they could have been easily defeated by less than half of Apocalypse's force was not encouraging. She was so drained she hadn't been able to heal her own wounds, and was sitting in one of the leather armchairs with two bandages over cuts on her collarbone that had penetrated her uniform, and held a gauze pad to her throat because the cut kept opening up.

"We just need new strategy," Scott insisted. "We're fighting a completely different enemy now, and we're still reading from the old book."

"Sounds like they can kick our asses out of pure force, anyway," Logan snapped. He was still grumpy that he had missed the fight, and didn't bother trying to hide it, even though the others had repeatedly pointed out to him that he would have either been ripped apart or used as a weapon to slaughter his friends. "We're definitely screwed."

"I think we need to eliminate Magneto," Beast mused. "He's apparently the most powerful, and he's keeping a key member off the team." Scott snorted as Logan grinned.  
"That won't be easy, considering that's what we've been trying to do for several years," Scott said. "Don't give me that look, Professor, he outright tried to kill you, he willingly went to help Apocalypse, and you can't stand up for him anymore."

Logan ignored the argument and let his eyes drift to Sabere, who sat gazing out the rain-drenched window, obviously completely ignoring the conversation. The edges of gauze pads emerged from under her black uniform tank top, and her hand cupped around her throat. He was glad she didn't notice him watching – she looked so vulnerable, and yet beautiful in the cast of the gray light. He wanted, ached, to hold her and comfort her – she didn't deserve to be the one who saw her friend's deaths. She would reject him – maybe – but he had at least tell her how concerned he was for her…

Suddenly Sabere's eyes went wide with terror, and she shook her head slowly back and forth. Both Xavier and Jean looked at her in alarm, and Sabere bit off a scream and curled up in the chair, whimpering. Before Logan could even take a step, Kurt was at her side, and Xavier stretched out his hand to soothe the vision. But she shook them off, insisting she was just fine. "Nothing new, just…more details…do we know anyone with wings?"

Xavier didn't answer. "Go get some rest," he told her quietly. She looked like she was about to argue, but he turned back to Scott and Beast to continue planning. Logan felt a flash of hot jealousy as she squeezed Kurt's hand and staggered out of the room, still pressing the gauze to her throat. _Let it go, bub_, he thought. _First Jean, now Sabere…go for a single girl, why don't you?_ Of course, Jean was on a whole different level than Sabere…He shook his head and returned his attention to the conversation. A cold thought struck him as she vanished into the hallway – maybe Sabere wouldn't even live to see this battle in New York that would be their end. Somehow that made him even more jealous.

-----

Sabere took Xavier's orders to get some rest as an excuse to leave the room, but there was no way she was going to go lie down and try to sleep after seeing that again. If it was so intense in life, it could be a hundred times worse asleep – and there would be no one to help her when she woke up –

So she took the elevator down to the Danger Room, trying to convince herself that an easy workout would be good for her nerves, even though her chest and throat had nearly been torn open. Actually, she was angry – she had to let it out, and better to release it on some unsuspecting robot than one of her teammates. The further damage she could do to her wounded body was just a side thought – she was a healer, for crying out loud, and she would find a better use for her powers than unleashing an ancient mutant tyrant.

Beast had created a bizarre new training session that seemed to have taken variants of goblin-like monsters from "Lord of the Rings" and some dorky card games and dropped them in Egypt as minions of Apocalypse. Sabere stepped calmly into their midst, knives in hand, doing her best not to think about anything, just to move and react and kill. She laid waste to the miniature army in a matter of minutes, feeling the murderous calm that must fuel Logan coursing through her as she moved swiftly and emotionlessly around them, slicing and shielding and flying and killing. Finally she was alone beside the pyramid, trying to catch her breath. Pain was everywhere – her entire torso was throbbing, and she felt the onset of a headache that probably had more to do with her vision than the workout. She turned around slowly, looking up at the pyramid, squinting against the eerie blue light that radiated from the cracks between the shining new blocks. At last she raised a fist and flung the knife at it – but at the same time the program ended, and the knife clattered echoing against the far wall.

She brought her knife back and strode slowly out of the Danger Room. By the time she made it to the top of the stairs, she was having trouble breathing and desperately craved aspirin. In her fogged, exhausted state, it was no surprise to find Logan waiting for her near her room. She was too tired to tell him to leave, and she was so tired she just wanted support – and Logan was certainly willing to give it. He would always be a flirt, but he had become so protective towards her – it was almost more appealing than his old self. _But you don't want him to be appealing. You love Kurt, remember?_

"Charlie told you to rest," he said gently.

She shrugged, stubbornly ignoring the stabbing pain through her chest and throat. "I wasn't tired yet."

"You're already hurt. You shouldn't have – "

"Don't tell me that, Logan, do you really think I care too much about what happens to me now?" She wasn't angry anymore – instead she felt almost weary, as if she was correcting a confused student.

He reached out and drew her close. "It's not over yet."

"You can talk…I feel like it's already happened." Tears welled in her eyes again, but she fought them down. Her head hurt enough already, and she did not want his pity right now. Pity meant support, and support could easily lead to something she didn't want…especially since she was already so close to him, and enjoying it…

"Come here –" Logan enfolded her in a comforting embrace. Any other day she would have refused his consolations, but she was so tired – and felt so empty…

So when he tilted her chin up to kiss her she didn't protest. This human touch, given when Sabere had just seen her world burn around her – again – was far more welcome than she wanted to admit. She tried to convince herself that this was just friendly comfort, but something snapped and the realized exactly what she was doing.

He pulled away with as much shame as Sabere when she pushed him. She couldn't meet his eyes, but knew that he wouldn't meet hers either.

"Did you do that to Jean too?" she whispered.

She couldn't tell what effect that had had on him, but he didn't answer. Finally Logan jogged down the stairs.

Sabere was too stunned, too drained, to move. _What did I just do?_ Why couldn't she bring herself to turn him away, before it went as far as it did? All she could think was _three years, three years…_

As her temples started to ache again she raised her eyes to the end of the hall. Two yellow eyes met hers and her heart froze. She opened her mouth to explain, knowing that, at last, the weeks of bad timing and Logan's advances and her own carelessness and desires could not be explained. "Kurt, I…" What could she say? What could she possibly say to regain the trust of a man who never had enough to give in the first place?

"Don't." Kurt materialized out of the shadows, his voice bitter, his face written with agony, anger, and grief. "I can't – " He teleported away.

Sabere slid to the floor and let her tears flow.


	11. 11: The Second Trumpet

Chapter 11: The Second Trumpet

_I told you I would be here for you, the power tells her. I can save you, but there must be a trade. Who are you? Sabere asks sleepily. I am - _

When her alarm went off in the midst of murky nightmares and dreams of fire, she felt mixed relief and foreboding. She wouldn't have to try to sleep anymore – but immediately she remembered what she had done the night before and felt like throwing herself back on the sword of her nightmares. That would at least be better than trying to avoid both Kurt and Logan. Never mind the questions the others would ask…She dressed quickly and hoped the kitchen was empty. She would not be able to avoid an encounter with Xavier or Jean, but if she could get her thoughts together over breakfast those encounters would be much easier.

Unfortunately Scott and Jean were both in the kitchen when she arrived. Sabere took a random bagel and desperately hoped neither of them would mention anything. She waited in horribly uncomfortable silence as she spread cream cheese over the bagel. _ Maybe I can get back to my room and not have to stay here…_

"Hey, you're allowed to sit here, you know." Scott had one eyebrow raised and seemed amused with her attempts to avoid them. Jean looked equally amused – which was sickeningly relieving. Maybe she didn't know anything. Sabere sat down across from them, still trying to hide her anxiety.

"No coffee?" Scott asked in mock surprise.

"What? Oh – no, not this morning." Sabere didn't want to think about what coffee would do to her already nauseated stomach. She kept waiting for them to say something about last night – _she's a telepath, she's in my brain often enough anyway, she had to have noticed something – _

Kurt teleported into the kitchen, image inducer on. They locked eyes for less than a second, or years. As usual, Kurt's "human" eyes were far more easily read than his real ones – and these carried a deep and unalterable pain. She stared back, half hoping for forgiveness and half wishing he would leave. Kurt lowered his eyes and teleported out.

Scott and Jean both looked back at her. "What was that?"

Sabere shook her head. "It's nothing, I…"

Scott leaned forward, as if angling his head for a better shot from under his sunglasses. "What happened?"

Of course, Logan chose that moment to come in for breakfast. He already had a bottle of Dr. Pepper from somewhere, and saw her in mid-swig. The bottle froze in the air.

-----

Jean knew when Sabere walked in that something was wrong, and it had nothing to do with her visions. The younger woman was too tense and too quiet, and a gentle probe picked up swirling emotional pain, and Kurt. When Logan walked in, she opened her mind a bit more and all the pieces came together.

"Oh." Scott leaned back again, arms folded. Jean tried to process everything she – they – were feeling. Scott was partly enraged that Logan would have the balls to go after yet another woman in a relationship, but quite relieved that his attention appeared to have been diverted from Jean. Sabere was close to despair, very confused, but she left the room with as much poise as she could manage. Logan himself was a tumult of embarrassment, because he knew he shouldn't have been messing with Sabere in the first place and also because he knew, like she did, that his feelings for Jean still ran unalterably deep. And Jean was surprised to find in herself no small amount of jealousy.

Logan held up both hands, one clenched too tight around the bottle. "It was just a kiss," he told them, and Jean knew it was the truth.

Scott shook his head and launched into a lecture, but Jean sent a probe out for Kurt. As usually happened when he was 'porting frequently, she had trouble finding him, but at last located him at rest out in the grounds. He was a wreck, full of the expected raw frustration and grief. It may have been just a kiss, but to Kurt, who'd never really had the privilege of trust, it was just an affirmation of everything he feared in the world. But as she explored further, she found a small but growing feeling that he was overreacting, that it had just been a simple and rectifiable mistake.

_/That is my doing,/ _Xavier told her. _/Neither of them have the courage to approach each other about it, so I think they're both going to need some help./_

_/Looks like you have it under control, then,/_ she replied.

/_You might want to see to your own feelings,/ _he cautioned as an answer. Jean sent him the mental equivalent of an acknowledging nod and broke the connection. Logan looked like he was about to shred Scott, so Jean stood up to mediate.

"Boys, please – Logan, you'll work this out, right?" It wasn't a question, it was an order, and fortunately Logan took the hint and left.

Scott raised an eyebrow at Jean, and she could sense the multitude of questions that went with it. She shook her head and sighed. "We have enough to deal with already…"

/_Jean, I've scheduled a Danger Room session at ten and have told Hank, Logan, and you. Spread the word./_

_/Is this part of your plan?/_ she asked uncertainly. She got a sly astral smile in return.

-----

Sabere took a cursory glance through Kurt's usual haunts, but as she expected, he was nowhere to be found.

_/Glad to see you're at least looking,/_ Xavier broke in.

She couldn't contain a flash of anger. _/Professor, please, not right now - /_

_/You know what you've done and you know you need to fix it. Why the hesitation?/_

_/Because - /_ She tried to find the words to formulate it, but instead shoved everything she was feeling at Xavier. _/I'm trying to figure it out./_

_/It, or him? Or should I say, them?/_

_/Leave me alone!/ _To her surprise, Xavier obeyed. By the time she reached her own door, she was completely alone in her mind. She leaned against the doorframe, feeling utterly defeated. Xavier was right, she couldn't hide from the matter forever; but she was far from ready to talk to anyone about the issue. All she wanted was to rewind the night – she knew now, she could see herself easily saying good-night to Logan and seeking comfort in Kurt's arms instead. He had been right there…Why hadn't he said anything? He was right there watching the whole damn thing…

_That wasn't his fault,_ her conscience scolded.

_I know, I know,_ she thought. _I just wish the whole thing had never happened…_

"Hey." Logan head was barely visible over the top of the stairs. Her vision shook with fury. She clenched her fists and turned back to her room, determined to ignore him.

"Wait, for God's sake, just a minute – Danger Room at ten. Xavier wanted me to tell you."

Sabere squeezed her eyes shut and resisted the urge to hurt him. "Fine."

She waited for his footsteps to leave, but he didn't move. "Look, I…I'm sorry," he said finally. Sabere didn't answer.

His footsteps bumped down the stairs and Sabere unclenched her fists, feeling anger drain away. _If Wolverine can humble himself like that, I have no excuse,_ she thought sadly, flopping on her bed in a sea of grim lonesomeness. Dull resolve filled her – she would talk to Kurt after the Danger Room session. She refused to acknowledge the sickening fact that he had no reason at all to forgive her. Yet somewhere in her heart, she realized she was already bracing herself for that possibility.

-----

At ten o'clock that morning she was suited up and waiting in uncomfortable silence for the rest of the X-Men to arrive. The kids, probably hoping to make a good impression, were already waiting in uniform – Bobby sprawled on the floor with Rogue sitting more demurely next to him, Kitty and Peter joking about something in the middle of the room. Soon Xavier rolled through the doorway with the rest of the X-Men behind him. Sabere deliberately avoided the gazes of everyone but Storm. Xavier positioned himself so everyone could see him and described the morning's exercise.

"We're going back to basics today," he announced. "You will need to recover an artifact from a heavily guarded room, then make it safely outside before the other team. Of course, there will be surprises, but it isn't anything you can't handle."

"He hopes," grumbled Rogue. Xavier ignored her. "We've decided you should take a break from training against Apocalypse and keep your skills up in situations you're familiar with. The teams will be as follows: Jean, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, and Sabere."

_Of course,_ she thought unhappily, trying to keep dismay off her face. "…Storm, and Scott. Good luck to all of you." Xavier left the room and the teams split up. Sabere found herself next to Kurt, but he wouldn't even look at her. The fact that he was back to his usual blue self made her feel even worse.

The room darkened. She felt Jean grab her arm. Almost instantly Sabere felt all Jean's anger in her mind. _/Have you even noticed you've broken his heart?/_

_/Of course I have!/_ she flared back._ /And I'll fix it, just…not now./_

_/Dammit, _yes,_ now, before your little argument splits up the whole team. There's more at stake here than two hearts. We can't have you two fighting and not watching each other's backs./_

_/We can handle it!/_

_/You'd better./_ Jean released her arm and Sabere stood shamed in the dark. The lights returned, revealing wide metal corridors with small white lights marking a path in the floor. Their target lay along its trail.

"Clock's running," Logan warned. "Let's move. Tin Man, you first."

Colossus jogged forward first, skin coating itself with steel as he ran, and almost immediately drawing the attention of two guns mounted on the ceiling. As he dove back for cover Sabere stepped forward, shielding them as she walked. But the shields seemed to draw attention from somewhere else – guns in the walls. Panels slid open on either side of her, revealing tasers. She tried to compensate her shields but the tasers got through, stinging her arms and delivering a nasty shock that sent her to her knees, barely conscious.

Quite suddenly she was somewhere else – down the hall, staring back at the remnants of the tasers. Kurt's arms released her and the others ran forward.

"Come on, keep up!" Sabere shook herself and ran after them. The lights led them into a massive chamber, ringed around with a balcony twenty feet high. The other end of the room was walled with a semicircle of plain steel cell doors. She stopped in surprise. It was an exact replica of Stryker's ocean base – the one in which Kurt had nearly been killed. Xavier had planned this entire session. _Bastard._

Machine guns mounted on the balconies sighted on them, returning Sabere to the present with their vicious firing. She dove out of the way, throwing a knife towards one and missing. Across the room Colossus leaped smoothly up onto the balcony, aiming one of the guns at another and eliminating it. Unfortunately a third gun fired on him, knocking him to the ground. His metal skin faded and he lay unconscious.

"Dammit, Xavier, you're going to get everyone killed," she hissed, huddling against the wall. At least a dozen guns were firing down at them, and the only safe place was – in the cells. _Perfect_.

"You think this room is 'heavily guarded' enough for his little 'artifact' to be in here?" she shouted to whoever was listening.

Across the room, Kurt vanished and reappeared in one of the cells. Almost immediately a massive explosion threw him out the door – there were mines in the floor. He skidded to a stop in the middle of the floor, defenseless, and instantly the guns swiveled around to target him. Sabere flung out her hand and cast a shield over him, grimacing at the impact of hundreds of bullets. She added more to the shield, but another mine in a cell went off, and her concentration broke – Kurt's shield held, but her weak protections failed and her body was thrown against the wall under the impact of the machine guns –

Suddenly – _bamf – _the cells were gone, and Sabere was back in the original hallway, watching the rest of her team sprinting for the exit, Wolverine carrying a small metal box that must have been the artifact. She fell backward, in too much pain to sit up any longer. As they approached, the scenario disappeared and Sabere's gasp of pain resonated throughout the Danger Room. Xavier's voice floated mockingly down from above. "Only one casualty this time, and remarkably, Sabere, it was not you, although I'm sure you wish it was."

Sabere couldn't even respond to Xavier's mockery; she lay flat on her back on the cold floor, waiting for the stinging pain in every bone to just go away. "Wolverine successfully retrieved the item, and his team made it out of the building first, although Colossus, unfortunately, was killed and Sabere will probably die of injuries later today."

Finally Sabere lifted her head a little. "Are you done yet?"

"Yes, I think so. Well done, X-Men." They slowly dispersed, but Sabere still felt Xavier's astral grin in her mind – he was enjoying rubbing it in, torturing her…

She remembered her promise from earlier – talk to Kurt after the session. Of course, she hadn't counted on not being able to walk, but they had each saved the other's life…

Groaning, she pushed herself to her knees and made her way slowly out of the Danger Room. The others were climbing out of uniform, some complaining quietly about sore muscles, and filing out of the underground hallways. A hand pushed gently at the small of her back. Logan jerked his head in Kurt's direction, his meaning clear – _get it over with_. Sabere sighed and walked silently down the hallway. Kurt was wearing the image inducer again; his black hair hung shimmering around his shoulders. She couldn't see his eyes and wasn't sure she wanted to – she was apologizing to a stranger, someone she knew she loved but now looked and acted completely different.

"Kurt?" she asked quietly, her heart racing. _He's not going to forgive you – just leave, don't say anything, save yourself the trouble – _

Kurt whirled around, startled. Plain, human brown eyes washed her away with thousands of emotions that she ordinarily couldn't have seen – fear, anger, heartbreak, hope, uncertainty – everything she was feeling. She opened her mouth, but Kurt 'ported away.

"Dammit, Kurt!" she shouted at the ceiling, fists clenched. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Of course he wasn't there to hear her. "There, I said it, I'm sorry!" No answer.

"He'll come around."

She whirled on Logan, who stood uneasily in the doorway. "Get the hell out!" He was gone by the time the words were out of her mouth. Fuming and broken, she stripped off her uniform and left the mansion. _I approached him. I made a mistake and I tried to apologize and now he won't listen to me._

_/Do you really think the two of you will remain separated for long?/ _Xavier asked. _/He knows now you've tried to come apologize, and after three years I doubt a little incident like this will last long./_

_/We're both being ridiculous about this, aren't we,/_ Sabere thought glumly. ­_/Acting like high schoolers. I'm afraid to talk to him and he must be the same./_

_/You do recognize what you've done to him, don't you? He may have walked in on you at the wrong times, but you did little to dispel his fears./_

_/If I could just talk to him, I could tell him how horrible I feel…you know, you're in here…/ _Emotions were easier to read than words telepathically, and in a way that was how they communicated. She felt Xavier's understanding at last.

_/I know the weather is miserable, but since you're aiming for the lake, perhaps in a few minutes Kurt will have a strange urge to get out of the building for some air, and perhaps he'll run into you./_

She didn't need to express her thanks, and set out under the low, cold clouds for the lake.

-----

Misty rain fell around Sabere as she sat under an umbrella, watching the slate-gray lake. Kurt had not come. Had Xavier's hint failed? Had Xavier even done anything? Was Kurt approaching right now? Instinctively she looked around. The trees around the lake were motionless, and the mansion sat dark and silent up the hill.

Then the world turned red and Sabere collapsed on the wet grass, overwhelmed with fear. Images flashed in her mind – buildings collapsing, red eyes, screaming –

As suddenly as the vision had hit her, it was gone, and she pushed herself shakily off the ground, numb and horrified. _Paris. That was Paris. Apocalypse is in Paris._

Her mind screamed for Xavier as she sprinted, slipping, up the path to the mansion.


	12. 12: The Fight We Cannot Win

Chapter 12: The Fight We Cannot Win

Logan watched as Sabere, drenched with rain, dashed past him down the hall into Xavier's office. He followed quickly behind, barely noticing as Jean came down the stairs on his heels.

"Apocalypse will be in Paris tomorrow night," Sabere gasped, out of breath. Logan glanced between them all, waiting for a response. Xavier heaved a deep sigh and nodded. "Do you know when?"

"Very late. Almost midnight."

He nodded again. "We'll have to leave the students alone – they should be fine under the security system. We will leave early tomorrow morning; that should give us a couple hours to get situated before he arrives."

_Hell no._ "Charley, we're not seriously gonna go in and try to head him off?"

"What else are we supposed to do?"

"What if he's going to bomb the place?"

"He's not," Sabere broke in shakily, supporting herself on the desk. "He's expanding his empire." She stumbled suddenly and Logan reached out to steady her. "You need to rest," he said gently. She pulled her arm away and promptly fell to the floor. Logan sighed and scooped her up in his arms, knowing she'd hate him for it later.

"I'll make sure no one sees you who shouldn't," Xavier said quietly. "But she needs rest, especially before this…"

"Thanks, Charley." He slipped out of the office, up the stairs, and ran directly into Kurt in the hall outside her room. _Damn._

"What happened to her?" he asked instantly. _Well, that's a relief._ Kurt started to brush her hair out of her face, but Sabere stirred and muttered something and he pulled away.

"Another vision, and a long day. Apocalypse is headed for Paris, and we're meeting him tomorrow night, their time. She needs some rest." Kurt jerked back, glaring up through thick blue hair at him. Logan shook his head, realizing how possessive he sounded.

"She's sorry. She tried to tell you."

He nodded and looked away, almost disappearing against the shadows of the hall. "I know." _Bamf_ – Sabere jerked in his arms as he teleported away, and Logan regretfully pushed her door open. Maybe things weren't as messed-up as he thought they were – or maybe they were beyond hope.

Sabere murmured something as he lay her down on her bed, and Logan thought he saw streaks of tears on her cheeks again. He reached out a thumb to brush them away, and her head lolled to the side. He smiled a little and left the room.

-----

_Exhaustion from endless visions and constant training should be enough to give her a dreamless sleep, but even tonight, when she is drained past consciousness, the dreams of the accident come._

_But tonight the lights are different. The lights are Apocalypse – her conscious mind knows it even if her dreaming self doesn't realize it. _

_"You still want him," comes a whisper._

_The ambulance and the blood and the noise vanish, leaving only Andy. He stands and embraces her as if that nightmare, that crash, had never happened. Sami is thrilled. Everything is finally, beautifully, overwhelming normal – no more fear, no more secrecy, no more despair._

_Until she sees Kurt out of the corner of her eye. Until part of her insists that Sami is gone and Sabere is who she is now. Until she realizes that she can't go back, and nothing can change, and the definition of "normal" has changed._

_"It can change back," Andy whispers. "It can change to how you used to be, how _we_ used to be – but I need your help first."_

_Anything! But this is the past – this is just a dream – "How can anything change?" she cries, wishing she could wake up. "You're dead, and I can't go back."_

_"Andy is dead, but I – " Andy pulls away, changing, growing, his eyes becoming penetrating scarlet lights – "am very much alive."_

_Sabere stares at the figure before her – a man, but so much more and worse than a man – huge, tall and heavily muscled, with those furious eyes and gray and blue skin, the skin of the dead, of an alien, of a monster – _

_Fear strangles her. She tries to run, to wake up, to hide, but she can't escape it – _

Help –

-----

Xavier opened his eyes, pulled from his dreams by a terrified call. _But from who?_ He opened his mind, following the cry's echo – and saw that dreaded face in Sabere's nightmare.

_/Sabere, fight him! Don't give in to him!/_

_-----_

_Xavier's call gives her an anchor, but the creature before her is far stronger._

"You will help me!"

_A cold, cold hand clasps around her mind, pulls at her powers, ripping her apart. She threw all of her strength and self into the fight, resisting the cold, but she was weakening – Xavier's strengthening shout faded quickly – _

_He gets stronger – _

_Xavier's shouts are far away – _

_Her strength fades and is slowly replaced by pain, until – _

_Sabere and Xavier lie in the dark, both broken and helpless. The fearsome figure stands menacingly immovable over them. He can kill them both – he wouldn't even have to think about it – they are ants lying in his path that he can, and will, destroy. But now, he just stands, grinning a horrible death-skull grin, mocking them._

_"You could not have won. I am Apocalypse, and with your help, I have risen again."_

_-----_

Sabere nearly knocked Xavier out of his wheelchair as she lunged screaming from the bed. She hugged herself and fell against the wall, weeping hysterically. Xavier didn't blame her at all – he was close to tears himself.

_"What more does he want from me?!" _she shrieked. "He's already back from the dead! I've already _helped_ him once!"

"I don't know – I don't know." Xavier was surprised at his own desolation. Apocalypse could have killed them there, far easily than either he or Hank had expected – with his mind, from an enormous distance – and he could access and drain their powers for his own strength –

It was clear that was what he had done to her. For some reason Apocalypse had still been too weak…and he had been too weak for quite some time…

The facts clicked into place, and Xavier felt sick. What he now knew was horrible…

"Professor?" Scott asked. Xavier realized he was holding his head in his hands. His crushing realization had so overwhelmed him that he hadn't noticed the crowd that had gathered – the X-Men in her room, and masses of students looking anxiously in from the doorway. He looked out at the children, not really seeing them, wondering distantly what would become of them when the X-Men were gone…

"Students…back to bed, please."

"But what happened?" called a voice from the back.

"Go." No one argued with Jean, especially on a late night. The hall silently emptied. Jean lifted a hand and the door swung quietly closed.

Sabere's sobs finally reduced to quiet gasps. Her shaking hands clutched handfuls of her blanket, which seemed to be her only anchor to the real world. Xavier sensed another source of pain – Kurt had not come to comfort her. Jean, going into doctor mode, crouched determinedly in front of her and gently raised her chin to check on her. "Again, what happened in here?"

"He was in my mind," Sabere gasped, eyes unfocused. "He…he stole my powers again…and he said he's risen again…dammit, he already _did_ rise, that's why I'm going crazy, that's why he's here, that's why we're fighting – "

Jean pressed her hand against Sabere's forehead. The younger woman immediately slumped against her, unconscious. Jean leaned her back gently against the wall and said, "Her mind is more fragile than we thought. Apocalypse has been hammering at it for weeks, and Professor, you know why."

He looked up, surprised at this direct confrontation, especially coming from Jean. He looked sorrowfully over at Hank – Hank, who would be most betrayed by their lack of action.

"We made a crucial mistake," he said softly. "Storm…you were right." Storm stepped further into the room, tense and curious.

Xavier sighed and continued. "Apocalypse sat and waited – we know this. We thought he was planning something, or gathering allies before he set out. But…it turns out he was too weak to do anything even if we had attacked him." The others stared at him, some beginning to realize what he was leading to. "He's been storing up his strength, researching his opponents, and…sapping strength from Sabere using her own powers, all the while completely defenseless." He didn't bother to hide the bitterness in his voice – they had all made a mistake, and it was his fault. "We missed our opportunity to strike and destroy him before he got worse. Now that he's been in Sabere's mind, using her, and he's strong enough to move…I don't think there's any stopping him."

Lightning crackled around Storm's fingertips. She was furious, and rightfully so. "Didn't I tell you? Didn't I say he was weakest now, that we had to strike before he – "

"I know! I should have listened! But we – "

"But what? How do we stop him now? He's been in her mind, he knows her secrets – "

"Storm, the students – "

"No, Jean – "

"_Shut up_." The words came whispered, weakly, from Sabere. She was awake again, still crying, but very calm. Whatever Jean did to her appeared to have worked. Sabere's fingers clawed the wall as she pulled herself unsteadily to her feet.

"We made a mistake. Okay?" She was hoarse and sounded exhausted. "The biggest mistake we can make now…is to turn against each other. The fault for this doesn't lie with anyone…but Apocalypse. He's…the one we have to focus on…" She slipped against the wall – her momentary passion was fading fast. But it was just what they needed – Sabere's rallying determination.

"He knows us…he knows our strengths and weaknesses…physical and emotional…he can't manipulate us…he's…" She wavered and had to sit back down. "Don't give him any more ways to defeat us than he already has." She passed out completely.

Jean levitated her carefully back onto the bed. Storm clenched her fists, exhaled her frustration in one sigh, and looking back over at Xavier. Her blue eyes were devoid of hope, an expression he knew he must be mirroring.

"Professor," she said quietly. "We cannot win this fight anymore."

It was the final blow. If they had had any hope before…it was gone. They had all known about their fate, or suspected it…but here was the confirmation, from the one who had been right about Apocalypse all along.

"No, we cannot." Xavier couldn't meet anyone's eyes. "But…we also cannot sit and let it happen. We will try…and we will fail…because we are the X-Men and we will die for the people we protect."


	13. 13: Apocalypse Emerges

Chapter 13: Apocalypse Emerges

Paris lay quiet under low nighttime clouds. Cars maneuvered through the streets, citizens left and entered buildings, all with unusual silence. The flight from the mansion had been quiet and uneventful – the students were not thrilled about being left alone, and the younger X-Men were naturally terrified (though they hid it well), but everyone had a grim sense of purpose that made them sit calmly through the flight. Sabere felt a little better – whatever Jean had done last night had given her the best sleep she'd had in weeks – but didn't feel at all up to battle. They'd sent a message to SHIELD and gotten no response, which didn't surprise anyone. They were in this alone. Kitty's leg jiggled nervously, and Kurt constantly toyed with his rosary beads. Storm and Scott guided the jet over the city, not bothering to conceal their presence, and partly hoping to scare citizens away.

"Charles, there are too many people here," Storm murmured from the controls. "Children will be asleep, and no one knows it's coming…" The jet set down silently in an eastern neighborhood. The few Parisians who were walking outdoors at this hour stared in horror for a few moments, then ran the other way.

"It shouldn't be too difficult…" Xavier put a hand to his temple and closed his eyes. After a minute or so he looked back up. "Most of the citizens of Paris are now convinced that they are under nuclear attack and should leave the city as quickly and calmly as possible. The military is on its way in."

"Is that a good idea?" Scott asked.

"Are you going to turn down the assistance?"

"But if they're killed…" Sabere thought it was very unlike Xavier to bring in humans to die for a war that wasn't theirs, but she supposed it was just a test. Besides, if the human military did manage to help them, they'd certainly come in handy later…

"We're doing what needs to be done," Logan agreed.

As he spoke, several cars pulled out from driveways and side alleys and pealed away for the main roads. Xavier smiled a little. "Let's get situated, then, shall we?"

Xavier remained behind in the jet, prepared to take off either to save himself or pick up the others. Cyclops and Storm led two teams down the slowly emptying streets, one group drifting north, the other heading south. Sabere tried not to notice when Nightcrawler followed the other group. By the time she gathered the courage to look back over her shoulder at him, he had disappeared against the night sky.

Over the din of departing motorists and chattering families, she could hear the distant rumble of tanks and helicopters. Two Black Hawks thundered past overhead.

"Earpieces, everybody," Scott reminded them as they watched the city empty. "We're not leaving anyone behind, and I'm guessing we're going to be pretty spread-out."

Cars streaked past them, heading out of the city, and a few civilians ran in and out of doors, calling quietly to family to hurry and move. Xavier's plan was working, but only a small percentage had actually left. Plus, they were on the outskirts – most of the interior would not be able to get out for a while. In the next block over, Sabere caught a glimpse of a lone tank trundling towards the center of the city.

"You know, France has never won a war," Beast said unhelpfully.

Block after block fell behind them with no sign of Apocalypse or the Horsemen. Sabere looked up at the brownish sky, down streets, into open courtyards – nothing. A few tanks and helicopters passed them, but there were no visible soldiers. The city's inhabitants were still vacating, but no one gave the X-Men a second glance. Xavier's doing, Sabere guessed, since the appearance of black-leather-clad strangers, two of them blue, would not ease a frantic city's tension.

"Who the hell invades at night, anyway…" Rogue muttered, apparently trying to comfort herself. Beast started to answer, but the southern sky lit up –

A blue sun rose in the south, spreading brighter and brighter across the city, then flashed and disappeared. The five stood uneasily, waiting for a sign –

Logan held up a hand. "Hear that?"

The others waited. Soon they could hear it too – a low rumbling, vibrating out across the street from the middle of the city. It grew louder –

A shaft of blue light exploded upwards from the center of Paris with all the force of a volcano. The X-Men were thrown to the ground as the city streets shook and cracked. The evacuating civilians screamed. The light shone glaring up into the night sky, an immovable beacon. Screams radiated around it. Beast took off running on all fours, and without a word the other X-Men followed behind, dodging civilians. Fires and smoke swirled around the blue beacon – the Horsemen were already at work. Cannon fire echoed through the streets, with the fainter rattle of machine guns in concert.

They passed the last building and found chaos. The beacon stood horrifyingly immovable in the middle of the street. Eight tanks were already clustered around the perimeter, firing with no effect on the three figures standing around the beacon. One was clearly Magneto, but he didn't even move as shells and bullets clustered into a dome over him and his two companions. Nightcrawler was already among them, oblivious to the danger, teleporting in and out, slashing and kicking, but a blast of fire threw him into the shadows of the street. Sabere didn't wait for a plan – she flung herself into the air, lifting a car with her, and flung it at Pyro. It would have been a direct hit, but of course Magneto caught it and threw it back. Sabere's shield blocked the car, but she couldn't hold herself, and slammed backwards into an apartment. Stunned, she slumped to the ground. She looked up just in time to see Colossus brace himself in front of her – and Pyro's fire slammed against him.

But he was totally unharmed – the fire licked around him for a few moments, then vanished. Colossus stood proudly, arms out, metallic skin glowing red-hot. "Go," he said calmly, and Sabere took off running for cover, dodging around buildings and across unfamiliar streets still full of panicked citizens. _Too many people_…Sabere was torn between wanting to attack Apocalypse, their goal, and making sure they had clear ground to do that…

Magneto took the opportunity to deal with the military. He raised one hand, and all eight tanks compressed on themselves into square-foot blocks of metal. Sabere couldn't contain a gasp of horror, but before he could turn to the helicopters, Beast and Iceman were on him. Sabere got to her feet and scooped up one of the blocks telekinetically, straining more than usual because of its density.

Cyclops appeared alongside her, shouted something about Mystique, and fired at a whirling figure down the block. She almost gasped – it was Mystique, but something had happened to her – she was taller, lither, her skin totally black, and she moved with speed and grace that exceeded even Nightcrawler. She dodged Cyclops's blasts with stunning ease, and she was almost upon them by the time Sabere hurled the cube and caught her directly in the shoulder. Her shoulder snapped backwards, but she didn't even cry as she fell back, her spine broken too – she fell, rolled back to her feet, bones cracking back into place, and launched herself at them.

_move!_

Black arms reformed themselves into sharp spikes, and Sabere telekinetically shoved Cyclops to the side while she ducked. Mystique flew over her head, but one arm dipped just enough to dig a fiery line across her back. She screamed despite herself, and the sound threw the battle into absolute madness.

She stuggled to her feet to call for backup, but before she could touch her earpiece a painful screech blasted through it – the screech of twisting metal, amplified and pumped into her ear – Magneto was messing with the circuits –

She flung the device into the street, her ear ringing. Luckily, Mystique had moved on, and Sabere dropped behind a crashed car to find an escape.

There was never time to even think about a strategy. The Horsemen were ruthless, and even though the odds should have favored the X-Men, their three enemies had powers the X-Men could not begin to match. Plus, they were spreading out, separating them. Sabere, already exhausted, tagged along after Magneto, trying to stay out of sight, waiting to catch him off his guard. She caught up with them in the intersection right next to Apocalypse's light – Cyclops, Jean, and Beast challenged him in an open intersection. A line of soldiers with machine guns was promptly and effortlessly slaughtered by Magneto – except for one. The lone soldier stood up, eyes surprisingly bold. To Sabere's surprise, he waved a hand and flung a barrage of sharp metal debris at Magneto. Magneto halted the attack with only a smirk, but the soldier did not back down. The X-Men and the two combatants just stood for a moment, everyone waiting for something. Suddenly blue bars of light shot up out of the ground, wrapped around the mutant soldier, and with a brilliant flash, he vanished.

She thought wildly at Jean, trying to figure out what was going on.

_/It's happening all over the city,/_ she heard in response. _/I think Apocalypse is taking prisoners./_

Sabere shuddered. It would make sense for Apocalypse to capture mutants rather than annihilate them all – but it certainly raised the stakes for the X-men. She climbed through the broken window of an apartment building and ran up the stairs to the top floor, where she had an excellent view of the combat below. The beacon shone straight up past her window, infinitely up into the sky. Cold panic hovered in her mind, but she pushed it aside and peered cautiously out the window, taking stock of the room's contents and trying to make a plan. Why was everything metal? Maybe she could distract him somehow –

"Good evening."

An amazingly handsome and completely naked man was standing next to the couch. She stared at him, her mind blank. Prisoners? Battle? That didn't matter He was gorgeous, and just standing there, waiting for her…what a relief…someone to help her…

The man stepped forward and embraced her, and Sabere nearly laughed with relief, caught in a blissful fog that washed away all her fears. It was all over, she was safe! He would protect her…

Then something that was not an arm wrapped around her waist…something cold and metallic…

The mind-numbing illusion vanished and Sabere stared up into the red eyes. The grey skin stretched in a huge, maniacal smile as he stepped back, a metallic tentacle extending from his hand, wrapped tightly around her waist.

She reached for her knife as the tentacle twitched and flung her out the window.

The grinning gray face disappeared as she flew past the beacon, over the street and smashed into the concrete facing of the building across the street. She felt ribs crack – possibly the concrete – and found herself dazed and falling six stories to the street.

_Wham_. She landed on her shoulder and nearly passed out as it dislocated. She lay stunned on her back. Rubble rained down around her as the street shook with more tremors. Panic seized her and she hastily focused for her injuries, gathering the strength she needed to heal – Apocalypse was out on the street, he was coming back – she couldn't move – everything hurt –

There – four cracked ribs, a fractured pelvis, and her shoulder. Healing energy lit up the fractures as she hastily knitted bone back together. The beacons flashed brighter than the sun and the sounds of battle increased – Apocalypse had come. She rolled over, gasping in pain – her shoulder – she forgot her shoulder.

_BOOM –_ a car landed directly in front of her, and the explosion of fuel and concrete knocked her back into the building as new pain shot through her shoulder. Sabere moved it tentatively – the blast had knocked it back into place. She ran towards the beacon as the building collapsed behind her.

The X-Men had rallied together, and to her relief Mystique seemed to be gone. A figure lay crumpled to the side, but she had no time to see who it was – Magneto had finally decided to take advantage of Wolverine and Colossus. Wolverine screamed in frustration as his claws swung out of control toward Beast; Colossus took a shot from Cyclops that barely deflected him when Magneto flung him at Rogue. Taking advantage of the blinding light of the hated beacon, Sabere scooped up a shard of glass and sprinted unseen towards Magneto. Two steps away from him she gathered all her powers and thrust the shard into the back of his neck, ignoring the deep cut into her own hand – Magneto roared in pain and dropped his tools. Suddenly something sliced up across her thigh, cutting deep – her own knife danced away from her as she collapsed. Magneto stood over her, silhouetted against the beacon, waiting to deliver the killing stroke.

Then, suddenly, she was alone. She sat up and saw the other X-Men, equally bewildered, with no sign of the Horsemen.

Apocalypse strode alone out of the beacon.

He was instantly barraged by any and all attacks the X-Men could muster. He stood immovable, grinning, as projectiles and lightning and blasts of energy stopped inches away. The red eyes turned to her.

_Thank you._

He had stolen her shields! She lunged to her feet, electrified with fury, but before she could take a step and chunk of rubble lifted from the ground and caught her in the chest. She landed hard several feet down the street – and regained awareness just in time to roll away from a barrage of lightning that spit out of the sky at her.

"Storm!"

"I'm not doing it! He's mimicking - !" Her cry was cut short as a massive explosion shook the city again. Sabere clambered to her feet, watching – lightning pitted the streets with gaping holes, pipes burst, and gas line explosions rose throughout Paris. She saw Storm rise into the air, surrounded by swirling dust and light, and called lightning down on Apocalypse. Of course, it never reached him – this time, he stretched out a massive blue hand and caught it. It gathered it into a ball that glowed as intensely as his beacon, flashing erratically over his demonic face, growing and growing… _That's a bomb_, she realized grimly, and Jean had the same idea.

_/Cover!/_ Sabere shook her head – there would be no way to escape from this – but before she could even think about hiding, Apocalypse threw his lightning down the street –

The already crumbling building next to her had taken enough, and as she fell under the shock wave as the entire structure collapsed –

She used the last of her strength to curl into a ball and shield herself as tons of limestone and wood thundered down upon her.

-----

Sabere was still buried when she woke. She fought panic –_ they just haven't found you – they're coming – they're not dead they're not dead – _

But still she worried, even as she tried to push chunks of concrete away. Either the rest of the team was still fighting, or something had happened and no one would come for her. She lay still for a moment and listened. The city – or what was left of it – was horribly quiet around her. No sounds of conflict, no screams of pain, no more collapsing buildings. _They're gone – we've lost –_

"Here – she's under here." Jean's voice penetrated the rubble around her.

"Sabere? Can you hear me?" Scott shouted. Sabere was exhausted, but managed to shout up in reply.

"Don't move. I'm going to blast away some of the rubble."

_Great._ She curled up as well as she could and covered her head with her hands. It wouldn't do any good against Scott's beams, but she was far too tired to build any kind of shield.

The air around her shone red and hot as Scott's beams fired over the surface. More dust rose as chunks of stone rocketed off of her. The beacon was gone, and the remnants of the city were black and shrouded in brown dust. She could barely see the outlines of Scott and Jean through the mess. The rest of the rocks lifted off of her on their own– Jean was moving them out of the way. Scott jogged forward and crouched near her.

"Don't move yet. Jean's going to check for broken bones."

Sabere was already sitting up. Even though her shields had failed once she passed out, the debris that had fallen on her had settled so little of it was actually touching her. Her shoulder and the scratches across her thigh and back were still throbbing, and breathing hurt her half-healed ribs, but she wasn't going to take the time to heal them now. "What happened?"

"Apocalypse just…left. Xavier says he didn't do anything, but…he's gone. Magneto and the others never came back."

"Bobby's dead." Jean hugged herself. "Rogue was captured and Bobby…"

Sabere hung her head. She couldn't say anything – she couldn't even feel anything yet. Now, there was only dead, hollow emptiness.

"We need to get back to the jet," Scott said quietly. "Almost everyone is badly injured. They need to get back to the mansion."

Sabere nodded and got to her feet, putting all her weight on her left leg and leaning on Jean. Together they made their way back to the jet.

To say the city was ruined was possibly the greatest understatement of all time. Sabere couldn't see any building that hadn't been blasted to pieces or lay as rubble in the cracked and jostled streets. Gas fires raging every few blocks were the only lights left in a nightmarish land of darkness and red dust. The ghostly skeletons of dead buildings loomed on the cracked sidewalks. Cars lay strew like toys, some smashed in, others still burning. A few massive holes gaped in the roads, some filled with muddy water from broken fire lines, others with telephone poles folded across them, many with the twisted, smoking remains of cars and buses tilting into them, lit with ghastly flickering fires.

"Shouldn't we try to…clean up?" Sabere asked hesitantly.

"If you can think of a way…feel free." She couldn't.

As if the shattered buildings and hellish darkness weren't enough, she could see that everywhere, on every corner and by every building, lay bodies. Sabere tried not to look at them, but there were so many…why hadn't they left like they were told to? She focused on the black ground in front of her feet and didn't look up until they stopped at the jet.

The remnant of the X-Men stood solemnly outside. Storm and Kitty were gone, probably already inside. Rogue and Bobby were missing, as expected. Logan stood with Beast next to Xavier, supporting Colossus between them. Sabere froze when she realized Kurt was gone.

_/Go find him./_ Xavier stared impassively at her. Sabere nodded and limped away into the darkness. No one called after her.

She came to the first intersection, the bent signs with foreign words lying tarnished in the street, and looked around. The jet was already obscured by the brown dust. She stepped over an antenna from some tower and squinted down the street, trying to ignore the destruction she could see in the light of a nearby fire.

"Kurt!" Her voice sounded pathetic and shallow in the vast, dead, dusty depths of the city. _"Kurt!"_

No answer. She hobbled forward. The silence around her made her want to scream some more; the black dustiness choked her. So many had lived here – and it was all gone…

She nearly tripped over him when she found him kneeling in the middle of the street three blocks down. He was crouched over the body of a boy, no more than ten, fallen next to his mother, and she could see his shadowed lips moving in prayer as she knelt next to him. His crucifix was wrapped among his fingers. She didn't move. The pain of the past few days was gone, pushed away in the face of this battle – they were surrounded by a dead, burning, black city, something they couldn't and hadn't saved. All she wanted was to leave this city of death and return to the mansion.

"They should not have died." Kurt spoke so softly she barely heard him. "He did not deserve this. He was killed in a war that did not involve him, that he barely knew about." His eyes were still closed. He was another shadow in the gloom around them, a shadow whose tear matted the ash and dust into mud. A shadow she loved…

Sabere didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry," she finally murmured. On impulse she reached out and took his hand, pressing it gently before getting to her feet, tears in her own eyes now. "You don't need to forgive me," she whispered. "I know better than to think you would. And I won't make excuses. I just had…" Her voice failed as tears choked off her confession. _So this is the end…_ "I had to apologize. I'm so sorry…"

She turned and started to walk back to the jet, tears rolling down her cheeks and aching in her throat. Only her footsteps broke the silence, now made so much heavier by those final words.

"Sabere."

Kurt was standing a few steps behind her. "'As I have forgiven you, so should you forgive others.'" He shook his head. "But I do not forgive you because my Lord commands it. I would have forgiven you – now more than ever."

Sabere was afraid to move, to speak. She still wasn't quite sure she had heard him correctly. Kurt smiled a little and came forward, embracing her. Relief finally swept over her and tears spilled over her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again. "I'm so sorry…I missed you…"

His drew back enough to see her face, and wiped away still-flowing tears. "What will we do?" she whispered. "I thought I'd never get the chance to apologize and now this – there's nothing left – "

"Shh." He pulled her close again. "Please – we are here and we survived…"

She nodded and stood there in silence, one spark of joy fluttering in the dead city. Xavier's voice spoke in both of their minds.

_/As happy as I am that the two of you have reconciled…/_

_/Right./ _ She drew away reluctantly, meeting his eyes with ease for the first time in far too long. "We should get back to the jet."

"One more thing – " To her surprise and great joy, he kissed her gently, comforting and loving. She gave in to it for a moment, receiving his comfort and returning her thanks. For that blissful moment they were back at the mansion during some lazy summer, alone by the lake and falling in love again. Then the moment was gone and they were walking though the dark lifeless ruins, alone and never feeling more isolated.


	14. 14: Doctor's Orders

Chapter 14: Doctor's Orders

The X-Men took their time recovering. Storm was unconscious for almost a week and suffered from severe burns; Colossus was unable to activate his powers without severe pain for some time; Sabere herself had to have her shoulder in a sling for a few days before it was fully healed. Then there was the mental toll. The younger students had idolized Bobby and Rogue, and their loss shook them deeply. Kitty, who was normally bubbly and bright, hardly spoke and spent much of her time grieving with Piotr. Everyone tried to put on bright faces, but no one was fooled anymore, and the rest of December was looking bleak. Xavier and Beast spent hours closeted in Xavier's office, but no one knew what they talked about. Some optimistically said they were researching and strategizing, but Jean confided her suspicion that they were actually planning how to take care of the students once the inevitable occurred.

They held a quiet service for Bobby, burying him in a small section of lawn near Xavier's rose garden. It didn't feel complete without Rogue, and Sabere couldn't shake the feeling that this would not be their last funeral.

Paris was on the news so often that TVs around the mansion, which were usually on all day, were shut off in annoyance. Only Jamie, who as far as anyone knew didn't do anything other than watch TV, kept watch on one. When he screamed for everyone to turn on the news, everyone obeyed.

Sabere flicked a finger and the TV across the kitchen switched on – and there was the thing she had been dreading since last summer. Dr. Rao stood in front of a massive concrete building, staring confidently out over dozens of microphones at hundreds of reporters.

"Veeda?" Beast asked in surprise.

"You know her?" Scott asked.

"Dr. Kavita Rao, yes – we worked together at Brand for several years." He stared at the screen, watching the woman speak. "I wonder what she's done."

"I have a feeling," Logan answered grimly, thumbing the volume up. Dr. Rao held up a small vial and the camera zoomed closer.

"…around the world can escape persecution. Humans do not mutate by choice, and it seems only fair that science offer them a chance to reverse that choice. Ladies and gentlemen – I present the cure to mutation."

Scott sighed. "It's about time."

"They finally did it."

"Oh God – " Jean's eyes were squeezed shut, her fingers at her temples. "The students are – God, I can barely block them – "

_/X-Men, my office, now./_

Sabere sat numbly while the rest of the X-Men sprinted from the kitchen. Thoughts swarmed each other in her mind – doubt that the cure would actually work, speculation at who would take it, outrage that that they had actually gone through with the drug, fear at what the government would do now that they had the opportunity to once and for all rid themselves of the troublesome mutant population, and most of all, the weight of their own failure. At the time, Sabere hadn't doubted Rogue's decision to let Rao and the cure escape, but now that it was real, that the consequences were upon them…

_/You too, Sabere./_

"_Liebchen?_" Kurt 'ported back into the kitchen. "Will you be okay?"

"Will you?" she asked automatically, turning off the TV.

Kurt looked away. "Xavier wants to see us."

"I'll walk up – I need to think about this." She stared unfocused at the screen, trying not to acknowledge the little voice in her mind insisting that Kurt would be first in line for the cure, the same fear she'd had when they first found out the research had survived. After coming so close to losing him, now this…

"I know. We all need to, but there's no time for that." He stepped forward and brushed her cheek, yellow eyes scanning her face. He stepped closer and 'ported her to Xavier's office. The X-Men were gathered around the huge screen, watching Dr. Rao unravel their world. Xavier was on the phone, and Jean's eyes were closed. Every once in a while she'd name a student, students Sabere guessed were considering taking the cure themselves. Hank was pacing, Logan frowning, Storm looking out the window as if expecting a visitor. Sabere felt a pang as she realized what Rogue might have been feeling if she were here – now she finally had the opportunity to be normal, to actually touch another person, and now the person who had inspired that wish was dead. Sabere found herself not thinking how many would take the cure, but how many would still be left in the mansion when everything was over and done.

Xavier hung up the phone and Scott muted the TV. "That was Moira, my associate in Scotland," he told them all. "She says she's seen some of the work on this 'cure' compared to the drug that was used on us here and believes it is very real and very effective."

"Did SHIELD pass that on to her, too?" Logan grumbled.

"Who has control of it?" Sabere asked quietly, remembering the government's past history with anti-mutant drugs.

"At the moment, Rao's own pharmaceutical company – not Bishop – is dispensing it, but it looks like the government has placed a very large order – and not just our government. Officials from Egypt and France have both requested samples."

"They want to try it on Apocalypse," Scott realized.

"That would require their militaries to get close enough to him to utilize it," Hank said. "Unless they put some in a bomb…"

"Don't give them any ideas," Logan groaned.

"On the contrary," Xavier broke in, reining in the conversation. "It may be our only solution."

Storm looked doubtful. "Even if their militaries could do the job, what's to stop them from turning it on their own mutant communities?"

"The military doesn't need to get it at all," Xavier replied. "We've already determined that the X-Men are the only ones who can put up any kind of fight against Apocalypse. We can get in on our own, with the cure, and stop him."

"Just like that, huh?" Logan chuckled. "I thought that was all we had to do when we raided Bishop."

"Magneto won't let it happen that easily, and not just because of his loyalties to Apocalypse," Storm cautioned. "He'll have something to say about this cure."

Xavier shook his head. "He's beyond our control, now more than ever. We need to keep an eye on the students, talk to everyone, and make sure this doesn't affect what we're fighting for. Right now we need to make Apocalypse a lower priority, and focus on keeping this school together." His blue gaze met each of the X-Men. "We can't dwell on past decisions. This is the now, and we need to keep moving."

Jean turned off the TV, which had moved on from the press conference to the talking heads. The look in her eyes made Sabere think that Xavier's goal wouldn't be as easy as he thought.


	15. 15: Friend In Need

Chapter 15: Friend In Need

The cure was the only news for the next several days. Heavy snows trapped Xavier's students indoors, where there was little else to do but stare at the gray remains of Paris and Cairo and listen to the talking heads argue about how to handle the new "mutant crisis." Disturbingly, a large percentage of the Parisian survivors turned out to be mutants, and many of them children. The Institute received several phone calls a day, some for the students from worried family members, but mostly from random citizens who had somehow gotten the number and wanted to take out their fear on someone. Meanwhile huge lines sprouted outside clinics offering the cure, but prouder mutants heckled them so much that military supervision was required. Similar incidents broke out in smaller scale within the mansion, as friends discovered who among them was planning to join those lines.

Jean and Xavier held individual conferences with the students, and every evening convened with the other adults to discuss their progress. Jean was confident that she had convinced most of the questioning students to stay, especially now that some of the hype had worn down. She brought up Rogue, half-heartedly suggesting that once they'd finished with Apocalypse maybe she'd have her mind made up. No one talked about Kurt, and Sabere was still afraid to breach the question. Time would tell, just like every other situation.

Late one evening, Sabere was taking a mug of tea up to her room when someone knocked three times on the front door. Wary of late-night visitors, Sabere, knife in hand, cracked the door open just large enough to see a tall, slender Asian woman, wrapped in a sleek coat and hat against the snow.

"Oh dear. I was hoping someone familiar would answer," she sighed with a cultured British accent.

"I'm sorry, who…?"

"Please, they must have told you I was coming." The woman cocked a thin eyebrow. Sabere was flabbergasted.

"Well, um, we haven't exactly had many visitors lately – "

"Betsy!" Sabere turned to see Xavier rolling down the hallway in pajamas and a dressing-gown, and the woman took advantage of her distraction to push the door open and duck delicately under her arm into the foyer while kicking the door closed behind her. Reflexively, Sabere threw the blade across her throat, but the woman seized her wrist –

"Gently now, Betsy, her shoulder's just now healed up." Xavier was smiling. The woman, Betsy, returned with a dazzling smile and released Sabere, who cautiously returned her knife to its sheath.

"Sabere, I'd like to introduce one of our foreign colleagues, Elizabeth Braddock, or Psylocke. We met several years ago when Betsy considered teaching at the Institute, but she's had better things to do."

Betsy extended a slender hand, but Sabere was no longer fooled by this graceful beauty – the grip of that hand had hidden power. "It is a pleasure, and I'm sorry my arrival took you by surprise – I would have though they news of reinforcements would be sung with trumpets from the balconies of this mansion."

"You came earlier than expected," Xavier answered.

"There are others coming?" Sabere asked, feeling the unfamiliar but very welcome thrill of hope.

"Wait and see," Xavier smiled.

-----

Breakfast the next morning was probably the happiest time the mansion had seen in months. Betsy, their first of apparently several saviors, sat with casual grace at the kitchen counter, surrounded by the men of the X-Men. Scott, Jean, and Storm all seemed to know her, and the four mostly chatted about what had been going on since they had last met. Sabere lounged against the refrigerator, wondering vaguely if Logan would pursue her; who else would be coming; what was Psylocke's power anyway? Her bewitching and exotic beauty was powerful enough, but she doubted Xavier's plan was to seduce Apocalypse. No, Betsy had a power she kept well-hidden; as a fighter, she recognized the power of Betsy's grip when Sabere had tried to restrain her, and knew the beautiful woman was obviously a well-trained warrior.

Sabere watched carefully when Kurt finally arrived – Betsy's reaction to him would be Sabere's final test. To her surprise, the woman seemed hardly surprised to see him.

"You must be the Incredible Nightcrawler," she said with a smile, standing to shake his hand. Sabere hid a smile at the thunderstruck expression on Kurt's face. He recovered quickly, hastily shaking her hand and releasing it cautiously.

"_Ja, ja_, uh, I am he. Kurt. And…you…?"

"Betsy. I've come to help."

"And what is it you do?"

A pink glow emerged from Betsy's wrist and flashed into the vague shape of a knife. Smiling, she picked an apple out of the center bowl and, with several smooth motions of her wrist, let it fall in slices back to the table. "I'm also telekinetic and something of a martial arts expert."

Scott snorted. "She's the best fighter you'll ever encounter."

"So me putting a knife to your throat probably wouldn't have stopped you from entering the mansion?" Sabere asked, feeling a little foolish.

"I'd say so. Goodness, I agreed to call my brother at ten – must run." Besty winked and sidled out of the room. Eyes followed her in silence until she was gone, then met awkwardly.

"Well…she's…" Logan fumbled.

"Beautiful," agreed the other men in the room.

"Why doesn't she stay here?" Sabere asked, sliding into Betsy's chair.

"Xavier met her in England when we were all still training," Scott began. "When Xavier started here it was just the three of us. Once we really understood Xavier's goals and had a handle on our own powers, the four of us went around the world meeting up with some of Xavier's friends, finding allies, trying to spread the word of the school we had here."

"So the Institute is that new?"

"You're going to make us feel old," Jean grinned.

"We all came here as children," Storm added. "Jean was about twelve when Xavier found her, and Scott arrived the next year – he was fourteen then?" Scott nodded distantly, frowning at memories. "And I was only ten when Xavier rescued me from Egypt…"

She faltered and Sabere looked at the floor. Scott cleared his throat and hastily continued. "The Institute is twenty years old. We've met plenty of other mutants, like Hank and Betsy, who are doing their own thing in association with Xavier. Apparently some of these have been called to help out."

They sat in silence, the glow from Betsy's lighthearted beauty gone. Beast lumbered in and raised eyebrows at them all.

"Reinforcements are coming. You can stop worrying for a day or so – it'd be good for you." He took three mugs out of the cupboard, filled them all with coffee, and crouched on top of a barstool to drink. "Unless Xavier has told you about his headaches."

"What?"

Hank sighed. "He didn't want to tell you – I encouraged him to, since you're all practically family, and now more than ever we need unity. But I guess he didn't want to listen…anyway, he's been having headaches for the past month or so. They're worst when he wakes up and whenever he tries to use Cerebro, and I think he's having lots of trouble with his telepathy. He can't focus sometimes."

Scott shook his head. "He said he needed me to drive him to the doctor tomorrow, but he didn't say why – I thought it was just routine."

"Hopefully he'll explain himself en route," Hank said wryly, draining his second mug. "Until then…you didn't hear it from me."

Someone knocked a cheerful rhythm on the front door. Hank beamed and leaped down from his stool. "That'll be Remy."

"You brought Gambit here?" Storm asked in alarm, but Hank was already out the door. Storm and Jean both groaned.

"Is he a problem?" Sabere asked cautiously.

"If you thought Logan was a flirt, you ain't seen nothin' yet," Scott sighed. "If it's young, female, and has an empty ring finger, Remy will try to get in bed with it. He's harmless, but…determined. Sabere, make it immediately clear to him that you are unavailable or you'll never see the end of it."

Sabere nodded, wondering if she should be worried. Thumping footsteps echoed in the main hallway, and a man's voice shouted, "Hey, _mes amis_, guess who's back!"

"Remy darling!" Betsy's feet pattered swiftly down stairs, and the man entered the kitchen with Betsy's arms around his shoulders.

One glance told Sabere that Remy was probably successful in luring most of his conquests to bed. He was slender and handsome, wearing a beaten brown trenchcoat over jeans, sturdy boots, and a tight black t-shirt. His neatly trimmed beard contrasted with an untamed shock of brown hair that fell into his eyes – his eyes! She did a double-take and had to hide her shock – his eyes were entirely black, with red pupils. Remy slid Betsy away to give Scott a back-slapping hug, shake hands with Logan, and kiss both Jean and Storm repeatedly on the cheeks and hands. He turned his eyes on Sabere and she tried not to jump. She tried to focus on his dazzling smile while Scott introduced her.

"_Enchanté, cherie,_" he murmured, bending low over her hand and kissing it lightly. She glanced at Kurt, hoping this wasn't going to start another rift, but he was bent double with silent laughter.

"Remy? She's taken." Scott grinned and leaned back in his chair.

The red eyes were full of mock despair as Remy looked up. "Ah, _cherie_, I shoulda known a woman of your beauty could not go unclaimed. Who's de lucky lad?"

"Well I'm not _claimed_, per se, I mean I'm not engaged, but I'm seeing someone – " she fumbled. Kurt stepped forward, smiling. "I am the one lucky enough to have her love."

Gambit whirled around. His surprise at Kurt's appearance didn't last long – in fact, he seemed thrilled to have someone else around who looked even odder than he did. Kurt extended a two-fingered hand and Gambit shook it heartily. "I am Kurt Wagner, but in the Munich Circus – "

"Ah! I saw you on de news! You're de guy who's always pokin' at de government! Well done!" He shook Kurt's hand furiously while Kurt gave a confused little smile. Beaming, Gambit turned to the rest of the group. "So who else is gonna join this merry little party?"

"We're expecting two others, and two of our students recently graduated to become full X-Men. Combined we'll have fifteen…" Hank frowned, remembering casualties. "Well, thirteen…fourteen if you count Xavier."

"Fourteen to five ain't bad," Gambit said quietly. "Granted, I've seen what dis Apocalypse fellow is capable of, but we're all good fighters and we got a cause. We'll be okay, yep?"

Sabere nodded. _It'll be nice to have some of our allies going into battle not knowing they're going to die. Their hopes will be up for a reason. _"Sure."


	16. 16: The Martyr

Chapter 16: The Martyr

London was razed that afternoon.

"Turn it up," Jean said tersely, and a student near the screen obliged. A newscaster yammered something about a new kind of biological warfare and it slowly became clear that the British army had indeed made a cure bomb, and planned to drop it on Apocalypse. There was no footage – no unnecessary personnel were allowed, which meant no cameras – but the anchor listened in silence for a moment before reporting that the bomb had failed. It had gone off, but the explosion hadn't touched Apocalypse.

"Well, it was a good idea," Kurt said half-heartedly.

Just a few minutes later, translucent blue dome-shaped energy shields were raised around Cairo and the two European cities; no one could get in, but humans were periodically exiled from the cities, and many mutants appeared to be trapped inside. Military alliances from a few nations approached the shields occasionally, fired missiles and whatnot at them, then retreated before one of the Horsemen could come out to lay waste to the army. The failure of the British cure bomb had been discouraging, and no one wanted to chance another attempt. Kurt crouched in his usual fashion on the back of the couch over Sabere, twirling his rosary just over her head. She lay carelessly with one arm across her stomach and the other dangling on the floor, watching the devastation with unfocused eyes. A handful of friends lay draped similarly across chairs and couches and staring at the screen. No one admitted it, but everyone was waiting for Scott and the Professor to come back from the doctor's. No one wanted to be alone when they heard the verdict.

Every once in a while Kurt glanced down at her, but she didn't notice – her troubled face remained locked on the screen. Gambit distractedly shuffled through a deck of cards he kept in his pocket. Kurt was mesmerized by the motions – cards flicked in and out between his fingers, flying into his other hand and back. He stopped when he noticed Kurt watching, and with a grin that made his red-eyed face look even more devilish than Kurt, held up one card – the king of hearts. Kurt rolled his eyes and returned his attention to the television. At least they had stopped babbling about that cure. Kurt freely admitted it was tempting, and the possibilities entrancing. He wouldn't have to hide under a hologram, wouldn't have to conceal that tail…_and Sabere would never look at you again_. He hadn't ever really considered taking the cure – hanging by a tail from a high ceiling had its advantages – but if he ever needed one concrete reason to dissuade him, he only needed to look at her.

Breaking news in the form of an overturned semi finally ended the glow from the blue shields, and as if a trance was broken, Sabere sat up. Gambit flicked his cards into piles to play solitaire, shaking his head. "Wish we could get over dere and show 'em what we're made of…Remy's tired of sittin' and watchin' cities get flattened…"

"We'll get our chance," Storm assured him. "Probably quite a few chances before this is over."

"When?"

"Well, we're not going anywhere until the other reinforcements get here. And Beast has some theory on how we can stop Apocalypse from imitating our powers, which could narrow the field a little."

"Field, more like all of Russia…" Kurt snorted as he dropped onto the couch cushions next to Sabere. He caught her smile a little out of the corner of his eye and his heart lifted. She was cheerful enough in the company of others, especially the new arrivals, but whenever Apocalypse was mentioned – or worse, when he took another step like this – she closed in and was inconsolable.

"Aw, cheer up, _cheri,_" Gambit smiled. "If 'Pocalypse keeps getting bigger, he'll just explode, methinks."

Jean burst into the room before anyone could unseat that notion. She sat on the edge of one of the chairs, worrying her lip with a graceful finger. "They're back."

Moments later Xavier rolled into the common room. Sabere stood slowly, hands folded, and Kurt wondered if another vision had told her what had happened to him. No one said anything at first, and Gambit let his quietly flipping cards fall to the table.

Xavier managed a small, encouraging smile that convinced no one. "They've found the cause of my headaches. I – " His voice caught and he cleared his throat. "I have a small tumor – right here – " He tapped the back of his head just above his neck.

They stood silent for a moment. _His powers will be affected. He won't be able to fight. He could die._ Cold panic settled in Kurt's stomach as Xavier spoke again. "Unfortunately it's too close to the brain stem for surgery."

"You don't need surgery! Sabere can – " Storm started, then hesitated and glanced at her. "Can't you get rid of it?"

Sabere blinked, taken by surprise. "I – I can't, that's – that's not the kind of healing I do."

"You're a healer! You have to try!" Storm insisted.

"This is different! This isn't knitting cells back together, this is removing something, removing parts – a _tumor_." She spat out the word, shaking her head in denial.

"You won't even try?" Kurt asked gently. Her green eyes flew between him and Xavier, and in the silence she released a huge sigh.

"Professor, I know we're all trying to keep up false hopes, but this is one that has to go," she said quietly. "This is something I cannot fix."


	17. 17: Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Chapter 17: Tidings of Comfort and Joy

_The fire is immensely, but not frighteningly, powerful. In fact, Sabere is comforted surrounded by the potential destructive force. It speaks to her, its voice androgynous and soothing. I can save you, but there must be a trade._

The dream was not hers, but Jean sat up, startled awake. Scott stirred next to her but did not wake. She sat in the dark for a moment, trying to recall the vague scraps of memory…a familiar dream, or a real experience…or a vision of the past that someone else saw.

She would have to talk to Sabere.

-----

Sabere awoke one morning to find her room decorated in garlands and white lights, and despite dreams of powerful fire, she smiled. She wrapped herself in her bathrobe and inspected the decorations, wondering who had been stealthy enough to decorate her room without her noticing. Outside in the hall, more garlands draped across the ceiling, with clusters of white lights and round ornaments every few feet. And – she squinted down the hall at a suspicious cluster hanging at the top of the stairs, then looked up at her own doorway. Yep – mistletoe.

She ducked back out from under the plant, but she was too slow – Kurt 'ported into the hall, seized her wrist, and pulled her laughing back under the mistletoe. Sabere laughed and threw her arms around him, abandoning herself to the moment because there certainly hadn't been many lately. When they finally parted, Kurt whispered with a grin, "Good morning, _Liebchen._"

"Was this your idea?"

"The mistletoe? Surely you know who put _that _up."

Sabere shook her head, grinning. "Remy."

"I only took advantage of it before he could."

"Believe me, I'm thankful – but I doubt he'll be deterred."

"You can find a way to ward him off, I'm sure." Kurt wandered into her room and took one of her knives off the table by her bed, grinning. Sabere smiled a little. "I'll do better this time."

His smile faded a little and she wrapped her arms around him. "I didn't mean to kill the mood," she whispered. "They're decorating the tree this morning, right? Let's go help. Christmas cheer would do us some good."

"There is not much cheer around," Kurt replied, but followed her out of the room anyway. "Xavier is getting worse, and Magneto single-handedly crunched a battalion of UN tanks. Oh, and two students ran away last night. Jean tracked them to a cure clinic."

"Now who's killing the mood?" she demanded. Her stomach twisted into a familiar hopeless ball and she stopped by the window. "I keep forgetting…it's so nice for a few minutes, but then I remember – I dread going to sleep every night, because I either dream of cities burning or eyes or – " They both knew the last possibility and stayed silent. Sabere twisted her hair back into a knot and smiled grimly. "Sorry."

As an answer, Kurt pointed up at the window's frame, where another clump of mistletoe hung innocently. Sabere rolled her eyes and, with a smile, kissed him.

"He was thorough."

"He's desperate."

"He wouldn't go for the underage students, would he?"

"_Nein. _ He may be a scoundrel but he does have standards." Theycontinued down the stairs to the common room that contained their Christmas tree.

Out the window, she could see the few students who were able to get home piling into a van in the brown slushy driveway. Sabere paused again to watch Kitty's heartfelt farewell to Piotr, who was staying behind. The low gray sky pressed down on them, and when Sabere blinked she felt tears roll down her cheeks. She walked on quickly before Kurt could notice.

A handful of students were gathered with the teachers in the massive common room. When the mansion was still a residence, it must have been a receiving room, but when it was converted to a school its more ostentatious ornamentations were removed. Today, the dark polished wood panels were dull under the gray sky, and the huge dark pine set against one wall seemed out-of-place. Colorful ornaments from past years lay across couches and chairs, gaudy against the rich fabrics. Soft small talk drifted around the tree as the small group reminisced over ornaments and commented on placement. One girl who could cling to the ceiling like a spider hung above the tree to place ornaments in the higher branches.

"Kevin, you can fly, can't you help with these?" she called tiredly, swinging one of her sore arms.

"I'm Jewish!" the boy grinned. Chuckles warmed the room a little, but Sabere could barely bring herself to smile. They were all just putting on a show. The kids may have been able to ignore Apocalypse, but the sudden illness their professor and father figure was something that loomed over them all. There had been some talk of the students who had gone home for the holidays, and how many of them would take the cure and not come back. A faint chuckle brought her attention to Scott, who had found a tiny photo in a festive frame. He held it out for them to see – it was of him and Jean, both in their early twenties and showing off burn lines on some tropical beach. Storm smiled and took the ornament from him.

"I took this picture – remember, that was the year we all went to the Florida coast for some down time." She hung the photo as high as she could reach.

"And then Juggernaut showed up," Scott remembered.

"And we had those old uniforms, remember, the horrible polyester ones, and we were all sunburned – " Jean laughed. "Never mind the fight, the pain of moving in a tight uniform was deadly!"

Reminiscent chuckles faded and silence fell. Sabere found her favorite ornament, a delicate blue glass thread twisted into a sphere, and wove her fingers around the brittle branches and wire loop. The smell of pine and memories of more joyful Christmases washed around her. She stood there longer than she thought, the ornament hung but with her fingers still resting on the branch, thinking of last year, and the year before, and the year before, and a long-ago childhood so peacefully normal it didn't seem to be hers…hot chocolate and walks in the snow and warm fires…power, relaxing, calming…

She jumped as a fire rose up in the hearth. A shrieking hiss, almost like the cry of a bird, went through the room, carrying the warmth of the fire with it. The X-Men looked at the fire in surprise, then at each other. Sabere tried to ignore the fact that Jean was watching her closely.

"When did we get another pyrokinetic?" Logan asked. No one answered.

A thunderous knock on the front door prevented the silence from lingering. Scott went out to answer it and Sabere backed carefully away from the tree.

-----

Jean watched as Sabere chose another ornament with shaking hands and placed it in the tree. If the fire meant what she suspected, it would explain a lot…seeing Sabere's visions when Sabere didn't know how she was broadcasting them; dreams of fire, just like when Stryker was planning to use Dark Cerebro…it would make sense. But why was it back?

"Hey, old-timers!" A grinning young woman of about twenty burst into the room and dropped her worn-out duffel on the floor.

"Tabitha?" she asked in surprise. Tabitha had been one of Xavier's prize students when she came to the mansion over eight years ago, but she was feisty and didn't follow rules too well. Before Xavier could bring himself to expel her, she had hit the road and no one had seen her since.

"Surpised? Me too." Tabitha adjusted the bandana that was restraining her short blonde curls and plopped down in a chair. "Beast managed to track me down and told me what was up. I've been looking for a job so I figured I'd see how the old place was doing."

"Unfortunately you're not getting paid," Beast cautioned. "And the insurance coverage is less than stellar."

Tabitha threw her head back and laughed. "Whatever, ape-man. I'm here for the fight, and that's that." She smiled around the room. "Wow, tons of new faces. I know _you…_and you, and you're still here?"

Sabere slipped out of the room as soon as she was introduced, smiling faintly – the smile she wore when she wanted nothing more than to be somewhere else. Jean looked briefly at Scott, communicating her concerns, and followed Sabere out of the mansion.

-----

For the first time in weeks, Sabere was close to hysterics. She meandered across the grounds, her hood up over her head and her arms twining her jacket around her sides like she was wounded. The lake, partially frozen and bordered with brown slush, materialized in front of her feet and she came to a sudden halt. The girl, Tabitha, who claimed to make bombs of light from her hands, she had come just to fight – she wanted to die –

And she was so powerful…Sabere could see it just by listening to her talk. Tabitha was a confident and capable girl, and she would obviously be strong in combat. But strength and talent was not what they needed now – Apocalypse could take powers, and if they brought more powerful mutants to face him he would replicate their powers and be even more indestructible. There was no chance anymore. Not that there ever was…

Despair overwhelmed her, and she sobbed and collapsed to her knees in the icy mud. The images of New York, the red eyes, Xavier weakening by the day, the constant threat of friends abandoning them for the cure, all her terrified thoughts of failure and death, and fire –

The sun broke faintly through the clouds, and the reflection glimmered weakly on the surface of the lake. The wavering light strengthened, moved – two points grew into winglike shapes – the hissing cry returned –

Jean's hand touched her shoulder and she jumped. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked up at the older woman, then quickly back at the lake. The bird in the light was gone.

Jean folded her arms and stared vacantly into the water where the reflection had been. "What did it tell you?" she asked finally.

Sabere frowned. The words wouldn't come to her, even though she had heard them so often in her sleep… "I can't remember."

Jean sighed and wandered a few steps away, looking up at the clouds as they pushed over the last of the weak sunlight. "Don't listen to it. It's…dangerous. Have you talked to it?"

"I can't remember." And it was true. All she remembered of the dreams of the bird were vague images of fire and a sensation of confidence and protection.

"Don't listen to it," Jean repeated. "I don't care what it promises. Tell it to leave."

"What is it?" She had never seen Jean like this before. The fact that she knew about the power was strange enough, but telling her she couldn't trust this amazing protection was alarming.

"The next time you dream about it, tell it to leave." Jean's eyes bored into her, marking the instructions into her mind. "If you come to me and tell me it's never coming back, I'll tell you what it is. Don't trust it, and don't let it take you." With that, she turned and headed back to the mansion.

Sabere's numb legs protested as she got unsteadily to her feet. Her despair gave in to the numbness as well – if they couldn't trust this power that had offered to save them, what hope did they have?

-----

Angel arrived, fittingly, on Christmas Day. Sabere saw him flying in as she passed the balcony in her bathrobe, and was certain that she was having another vision of their death, even though this one was far more peaceful. The handsome blond man introduced himself as Warren Worthington, and had to escort her to the gathering around the tree since she was so overwhelmed.

"Thanks for waiting on the snow," Warren grinned, kissing Storm briefly on the cheek. If nature didn't bring its own snow (which it hadn't this year), Storm gave them at least a foot so they could enjoy a white Christmas every year.

"Didn't want you to arrive any wetter and colder than usual," she replied. "Welcome back, Warren."

The snow, the glowing tree, smiling students, and the presence of an angel certainly made the morning look festive, but Sabere could tell from the couch that no one was fooled. Smiles faded too quickly, laughs were too forced, and everyone was just too quiet. Xavier sat wrapped in a typically elegant dressing gown, but everyone could see how his disease was taking effect. He seemed thinner under the sophisticated fabric, and his eyes were sunken in paler skin. She wrapped her own robe closer to herself and curled up on the couch. _It could have been so much happier…_

The rest of the day passed in a daze. Bags of shredded wrapping paper piled up by the fireplace, along with stacks of boxes. The younger students marveled over each other's new gadgets while the adults set up for dinner. Sabere, like most of the mansion, finally abandoned pajamas for slacks and a sweater, joining the vain attempt to make the day more festive. Hundreds of candles were lit all through the halls and dining room, and the tree's lights and orange candlelight cast their glow across dark wood and calm faces. Glasses of champagne were passed around in quiet murmurs, and once the younger students got their glasses of sparkling cider they gathered around the tree and talked quietly, laughing seldom. After a while, the murmurs began to ring in her ears. She couldn't take anymore of it and went out on the balcony.

Sabere leaned against the wall, watching the snow falling silently on the grounds. It may have been warmer inside, but the forced festivities were unbearable. The dark night and the glowing snow muted the quiet sounds inside, so she was surrounded by peaceful silence. Out here, nature went on, and if she tried, Sabere could almost forget what was happening.

The terrace door opened and closed behind her. Two yellow eyes appeared in the shadows, and Kurt stepped out into the snow to join her. He did not crouch on the banister like he usually did; instead, he enfolded her in an embrace and they stood watching the snow.

"Neither of us seem to enjoy parties much," she said, smiling.

"Actually, I'm a messenger." Kurt grinned mischievously. "Remy is looking for you. It seems some of his mistletoe fell down and he needs your help putting it back up."

Sabere groaned and laughed. "There are two perfectly wonderful single women in this mansion and he has to chase _me._"

"I think he has realized that both of them could do great harm to his person if he tried to seduce them," Kurt replied.

"Well, at least he's enjoying himself."

"You are not?"

She drew back and scooped a handful of snow off the railing. "I'm trying. I think that's what's bothering me – we're all _trying,_ because we can't actually be happy. Everything's falling apart."

"Don't despair yet." Kurt threw his own snowball far into the trees. "It is beyond our hands now."

Sabere added to her handful of snow and dropped it straight down, watching it impact in the spotless snow below. Kurt's hand caught her eye, contrasted against the snow on the railing. Indigo skin and something in his hand – also dark blue – velvet?

"I have been carrying this around for some time – not knowing when, or how, to ask – "

_Oh my God. A box. A blue velvet jewelry box._

Kurt opened the box to reveal the brilliant diamond. "I do not need to tell you that you are the most wonderful woman I have ever known, and I don't even think I could find the words to do so – but since I love you so – will you marry me?"

Her heart sang in such complete and utter bliss that she couldn't move. Kurt must have misunderstood, because he started to close the box, but Sabere seized his hands with a choked-off laugh. "No, no, no, darling, wait – " She took the ring from the box, slid it carefully onto her finger, and looked up at him, loving every bit of him, his odd eyes and the way his hair fell into them, everything. "Nothing in the world would make me happier."

And she knew then that nothing in the world, no war, no cure, would ever come between them again.

-----

She slid quietly back into the party, surrounded by a warm joyous glow that nothing could dissolve. Three conversations glided past before Storm found out. They were talking quietly about the success of her snowstorm when she suddenly shot out her hand and seized Sabere's left. An enormous smile slid uncontrollably onto Sabere's face, while Storm's lit up with joy and surprise.

"Finally!" she shouted joyously, and hauled Sabere into the middle of the room by her wrist, hand held high to show off the new ring.

"We all know this Christmas hasn't given us much to celebrate," Storm announced, raising her glass, "but it looks like one of the Institute's lovebirds has finally popped the question. Where did he go anyway?"

Kurt stepped shyly into the middle, and Storm released Sabere's wrist so they could embrace. "To Kurt and Sabere," a voice called, and the common room echoed the toast. Sabere drained a glass that had appeared in her hand, and from somewhere near the tree a voice whispered, "Kiss!"

So they did.


	18. 18: This, Too, Shall Pass

Chapter 18: This, Too, Shall Pass

The euphoria surrounding the mansion in celebration of their engagement faded quickly. Xavier, having grown too weak to even leave his room, put Beast in charge of training, and on the day after Boxing Day he called the first training session with the entire team.

The fake Apocalypse reveled in the new powers he had been exposed to. He was unpredictable, and the X-Men were soon exhausted trying to form a strategy against him as he employed power after power against them. They found themselves clustered behind the wall of a building, but so many were missing – Beast had been killed almost immediately, and Boomer and Kurt were missing as well. Cold fear flooded her stomach as she tried to reassure herself – _it's just a scenario – but it could happen in real life – at the next battle – _

A massive explosion collapsed the rest of the wall, and the X-Men dove into formation, pushed from their hiding place and ready to fight. But they were alone.

In the middle of the street, a small glowing ball appeared. It looked like one of Tabby's bombs, but she was nowhere in sight – and it kept growing –

"Cover up!" Scott bellowed, but Sabere just stood while the others retreated. She could stop it…

The glowing bomb swelled to the size of a car, a little larger, larger – it was taller than she was – and it exploded. She threw up her hands in front of her and wrapped a shield around the fiery shock waves. It was like trying to hold back the spray of a fire hydrant with her bare hands, yet somehow, she was doing it.

She bared her teeth as her shield wavered and pulsed against the explosion. The fireball swelled in furious orange against her shield. Heat scoured her face, and as she turned her face away in pain she saw the X-Men taking cover and ready for her to release. But there was no way she could get out in time…

Her shield wavered and a small burst of flame licked out of the explosion. _It doesn't matter anyway…let it go…_

"Sabere, no!"

She lifted her hands in surrender – and something else came out of the fire.

A huge bird, beak gaping in a silent, triumphant shriek, lunged out and wrapped its wings protectively around her. The rest of the explosion raged around her, consuming the new fuel, but the fire around her was pleasantly warm and protective.

_You are the one from my dream,_ she thought.

_ I can save you, but there must be a trade._ Those words…

Reveling in the power, she spread her arms and let the fiery wings meld to her. The simulation ended and the explosion melted away.

-----

Jean squinted through the flames as Sabere spread her arms. It couldn't be…it looked like she had wings…

The simulation ended and the virtual fire blinked and vanished. Less than a second later the flames around Sabere melted away as well. She let her arms fall, and stared in confusion at her hands.

_/What did it do?/_ Jean demanded instantly, getting to her feet and hiding any sign that she was communicating.

_/"I can save you, but there must be a trade." That's what it keeps saying./_ Sabere stood still, shaken.

"According to the analysis, we were all killed – except Sabere," Beast read from the monitors on the wall.

"I didn't mean it, I couldn't control the shield – " she pleaded.

"No one's blaming you, darlin'," Logan interrupted. "Looked pretty cool anyway."

"What did you do?" Tabitha asked in amazement.

Sabere shook her head quickly, panicking a little. "Just a shield. I didn't mean to – I tried to shield everyone but I guess it just covered me – "

"It doesn't matter, Sabere," Jean insisted quietly, all the while soothing the minds of the X-Men and gently removing the significance of Sabere's strange new "shield." The fewer questions they all asked, the better…

Jean caught up with Sabere upstairs and drew her aside. "Did you tell it to leave?" she asked immediately.

Sabere shook her head desperately. "It can save us, Jean – why not take its offer?"

"Because it's not an offer made in kindness! 'I can save you, but there must be a trade.' It came to me five years ago and never spoke to me like it has to you, but gave me more and more power until it had convinced me that the only way to properly use all that power was to kill myself. That's what happened at the lake. That's why I died – that power wanted a life in trade."

During this revelation Sabere had sank quietly to the stairs, where she sat and stared blankly at the dark walls. Jean sat next to her and waited for an answer. Finally, Sabere raised her head a little and a determined fire came to her eyes.

"Wouldn't it be worth it? My life for the lives of millions – billions? My life for the survival and well-being of all the generations of the world to come?"

Jean pressed her fists into her eyes, trying to forget the lake, the agonizing grief that she had sensed in her friends' minds as she died – but she could not forget her own determination, and her ultimate success.

"I would advise you to ignore it, and let events unfold as they will," she said slowly. "But it is…ultimately…your decision."


	19. 19: The Show Must Go On

Chapter 19: The Show Must Go On

"You can't ignore this anymore!"

Jean telekinetically caught the heavy clock that Tabitha had hurled from Xavier's unoccupied desk. "Tabby, knock it off! We are not ignoring anything. How are we supposed to form a – "

"'Form a strategy,' that's all anyone's worried about here. We don't _need_ strategy, we need to go out and fight him! He's gone unchallenged for too long!"

As they had expected, all hell had broken loose as the New Year began in Cairo. Logan and Scott had been monitoring satellite images while the rest of the mansion was using the excuse of the holiday to enjoy a few early glasses of champagne. Scott had hollered something about new shields and mass executions in the three cities Apocalypse had moved into, and the horrified X-Men had absorbed the footage for a few sickening minutes before breaking into a shouting match over how to handle the new crisis. They were all crammed into Xavier's empty office, some more intoxicated than others, but all with frayed nerves and under too much stress.

"The simple fact is that we are not capable of holding our own against him in battle, and we need a different approach," Beast interrupted.

"Ah, shut up, ape-man, as I recall you're the one who's programming the Danger Room to kick our asses in the first place – "

"Honestly, Tabitha, show a little respect once in a while!" Psylocke snapped. "The point of having the Danger Room as difficult as it is is so we're ready to face Apocalypse."

"Enough stupid training! He needs to be stopped!"

"Everyone, shut _up!_" Beast bellowed, employing his enormous lungpower for the first time since he arrived. The room finally fell silent. Sabere saw what stopped the brawl – Angel was standing white-faced in the door. "The President is on the phone. We're needed in London."

-----

Jean quickly tallied the X-Men mentally as she zipped up her uniform and headed out for the jet. Everyone was there – the new kids – the guests – but Sabere was still inside. She stopped and focused, finding her in Xavier's room. Something else was with her – her powers were flowing strongly, but the other thing was helping her – _damn!_

She threw open the door to find Sabere with both hands resting on Xavier's head, face contorted in concentration, all of her surrounded in her blue healing glow. A quick mental brush told her that Sabere was weakening, and that the power was not helping at the moment – but Sabere was so deeply entrenched in her work that Jean could not stop her.

"Sabere," she said quietly, soothingly, pressing it into her mind as well. "Sabere, let it go. You can't help him now."

"We need him," Sabere gasped through gritted teeth. "We need him – "

"Sabere, you'll die," Jean replied firmly, stepping closer and working her way into Sabere's healing process to try to intervene before she hurt herself. "We'll be fine without him this time. Let it go."

Sabere resisted her for a moment, then relaxed her hands and let the glow fade. "We need him," she repeated hopelessly.

"We have to make do without him," Jean said softly. "Let's go."

-----

The pounding rain could barely be heard against the jet. Sabere stared in silent out the front of the jet, watching the blue-lit dome of London draw closer, feeling her engagement ring under her glove with her thumb. She tried to deny her exhaustion – she had pushed herself past her limit trying to heal Xavier, hoping the power would come help, but only Jean had been able to save her, and that was by making her stop. _I was right_, she thought grimly. _I can't do it._

The jet was flooded with blue light as it tilted back to earth, and Sabere spontaneously clutched the chair, fighting down panic. _I thought I was past this._ The light was broken by silhouettes of abandoned tanks, and as the jet sank, outlines of bodies – soldiers – appeared sprawled next to the destroyed vehicles.

They landed unchallenged outside the furiously glowing shield and Sabere wrenched her eyes away from the cockpit. She didn't need telepathy to notice the fear in her friends – even Tabitha, so determined to get out and fight, was taking short, quick breaths and jiggling her leg nervously. Kurt's eyes were closed, and his fingers were entwined in his rosary. Struck with tenderness, Sabere continued to watch him, until he finally opened his eyes again and looked right at her. Neither smiled – that was asking too much – but when Kurt dipped his head, the gesture meant the same.

Fourteen X-Men stood outside the shield, already drenched from the rain. Logan popped his claws, and with a roar plunged them into the shield. They bounced off as if he had tried to punch a rubber wall. The others stared in amazement – those claws weren't easily stopped. Jean rose slowly into the air, arms raised.

"Jean?"

"I'm just asking to be let in…"

"Wait." Beast sniffed and peered into the shield. "They're here."

Through the blue glow, four figures appeared, walking steadily towards them. Two female, two male, one clearly Magneto.

"The Four Horsemen," Kurt whispered.

They stopped a few yards away, standing confidently. Magneto raised one hand and the shield vanished. Night rain poured into London, drenching the four figures who stood in the dark street. As her eyes adjusted, Sabere finally recognized the fourth – Rogue. Her eyes were strangely blank as she stood next to Mystique. The X-Men waited warily.

"Apocalypse has an offer for you," Magneto announced. "If you manage to defeat him here, this shield will remain down and anyone who wishes may come and go. If you lose – the more likely scenario, in my opinion – the shield comes back up and Apocalypse has free reign over this hemisphere."

"He won't stay here," Scott retorted.

"Of course not. Would you? No, Apocalypse has plans for your country, and very special plans for your school, I'm sure. What say you?" He stretched out his hand. "It isn't like you have a choice."

Scott hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward to shake Magneto's hand, gripping it more tightly than necessary and letting go as soon as he could. Immediately a rumble sounded in the heart of the city, and Scott backed away. Magneto smiled and lifted into the air.

"He is coming."

Three people and one enormous bird lifted into the rain and flew toward the source of the sound. Scott heaved a sigh and turned his back on them. "Forget that bargain. I'm more concerned about getting out of here with our lives than saving London. Stick together – we'll do what we can and take some of them with us."

"This isn't where it ends," Sabere reminded them. "I know that's not the brightest ray of sunshine, but…we could do this."

The rumble stopped. The X-Men tensed and subconsciously fell into formation, waiting –

The explosion threw them into the city and brought down the first building next to them. Sabere caught herself and landed solidly on her feet as Mystique, still in bird form, swooped out of the dark for the kill. Sabere slashed upward and heard the shriek of pain as the bird wheeled away into the rainy night. But she reveled in her victory for too long – Pyro found her. She barely had time to shield when a torrent of fire rushed at her.

_Bamf_ –

And the fire was far away. They were up in the air, closer to the center of the city. They hung for a moment, then 'ported again. Kurt had taken her to the half-flooded roof of a tower near the beacon – and Apocalypse was standing right beneath them. He stood calmly, arms folded, apparently listening to the battle around him. Kurt tapped her on the shoulder and revealed what he had clenched in his hand – a grenade lifted from one of the dead soldiers. She nodded, wrapped her arms around him, and together they leaped off the roof.

She slowed them down, and thirty feet over his head, and they came to a stop. Kurt silently removed the pin, and counted silently. Stretching out her dripping hand, Sabere let the grenade fall slowly toward Apocalypse – it was right over his head – Kurt's arms tightened around her as they prepared to jump – two seconds –

Apocalypse looked up. All Sabere saw were red eyes and a vicious grin before Kurt 'ported – but the grenade came with them.

_WHOOM_ –

Their feet touched the roof for less than a second before the blast threw them back off. They were flung in opposite directions – windows rushed by as Sabere plummeted – she heard Kurt yelling her name –

A rush of white caught her and bore her off through the buildings. Angel's strong arms pressed her to his chest as they flew between buildings, his huge wingspan grazing the dark glass, rain whipping in her face. He banked suddenly and took them back into the heart of the city, back toward the beacon. Apocalypse was ready for them this time, and throwing up a hand, sent a bluish shock wave at them. Sabere tried to block it, but they were both flung out of the air, landing hard. She turned around just in time to see Apocalypse fling a chunk of concrete at them. She couldn't react in time – it landed directly on Angel's outstretched wing and made a _crunch_ that could only mean something terrible. Angel screamed, Apocalypse laughed, and Sabere lunged to her feet, knives in hand.

Apocalypse clenched one fist and held it up. A glowing blue psychic blade, exactly like Psylocke's knife, arced out of his hand and formed itself into a huge scythe. It whistled through the air toward her with a shriek like a dying man. Sabere focused and rushed power through one of her knives, telekinetically strengthening it, so when the scythe hit, blue sparks exploded and the scythe was thrown back. Apocalypse scowled and Sabere tensed.

He struck again, and this time her knife sliced clean through. The scythe carved a cut across her chest, and she fell back with a cry of pain. She heard Kurt 'port in behind her, saw Apocalypse's smirk. His footsteps came forward and she struggled to her feet. Without looking back she screamed, "No! Get Angel out of here!"

Her enemy raised one eyebrow in curiosity. Sabere marched forward, keeping him focused until she heard Kurt 'port away. She found herself two feet away from Apocalypse, looking up into the furious red eyes, gasping in pain as blood ran down the inside of her uniform. He smiled and held up his dripping arm. The psychic knife dwindled to an elegant knife – she knew what he was about to do, but also knew there was no way for her to stop it –

Arms tightened around her waist and suddenly she was back on top of the tower, kneeling next to Kurt. "What were you doing?" he demanded immediately, his voice hoarse with emotion. "What were you going to accomplish by dying?"

She looked at him, tears mixing with the rain on her cheeks. "I'm sorry…I wasn't thinking…I didn't…"

He seemed to realize the futility of scolding, and shook his head, looking out over the battered city.

She pressed a hand to his cheek and kissed him fiercely. They parted, nodded, and Sabere leaped off one side of the building while Kurt 'ported out, healing as she fell. She landed with a small splash right behind Rogue, who performed a remarkably graceful series of backflips to get out of harm's way. She landed, crouched, flung out a hand, and uprooted a lamppost. It rippled, flattened out into a huge sheet, then with unstoppable speed wrapped itself around her and pinned her to the road. _How? _Despite her new predicament, she was amazed. _She'd already imprinted Magneto – Apocalypse let her use all the powers of everyone she's touched – _Sabere wriggled, but the dark metal did not move. She could hear stomping footsteps – a maniacal laugh – then the metal directly in front of her face began to glow red hot. Panicking, she squirmed backwards, feeling the heat radiating and spreading across the metal. She'd be cooked…

Taking a deep breath and gathering her strength, she lunged up and exploded out of the metal. Her hand brushed the melted sheet on the way out, but she was flying up above the tops of the buildings, far out of harm's way – the countryside was dark and peaceful…

"Sabere!" The cry echoed up out of the city, somewhere distant… "_Shield!"_

She threw herself forward, flying toward the source of the cry, but out of nowhere Kurt appeared, grabbed her, and then they were out in the dark countryside, watching London disappear in a blue flash of fire and a mushroom cloud.

-----

The light faded and they were surrounded by blackness. She clung to Kurt's hand in the dark – he wavered and collapsed, exhausted.

The beacon relit, and she thought she heard laughter echoing from London.

_Oh God…_

"Kurt, please, get up – we have to go – we have to find them – " She tugged feebly at his arm, but he wouldn't move. The rain spattered around them, mingling with the smoking ruin of the city and turning the world around them into one huge dark empty blue-lit blur. _They're alive – we have to find them – we have to get out of here – _

Kurt stared blank-eyed into the city, his hair hanging dripping on his shoulders. "They're gone – they couldn't survive that – "

She tugged on his arm again, weeping silently, her hair plastered to her face. _He _was supposed to be the strong one, the faithful one. _He_ was supposed to reassure her and tell her they'd find a way. Now he was as broken as she, as war-beaten and grief-stricken and hopeless as Sabere.

She finally fell to her knees next to him, trying to scrape her hair out of her eyes, as if by moving it she could see someone, anyone, alive in the ruins .

Nothing moved. The rain beat the dead city into silent gray shapes. Nothing moved.

_They're dead – _She couldn't fight the thought any more. It overwhelmed her, crushed her into the mud, and she curled up slowly, folded over with her hands over her face, and wept into the grass as all their hopes finally faded.

"Sabere – "

His voice was different. Something in it…She dared to look up.

A tiny sunbeam broke through the black clouds, pointing a shining light into the heart of the city. The clouds shifted unhappily, and the light moved further west – like a spotlight – drifting through the rain – until it stopped, wavering but determined, aiming onto one of the buildings.

"Storm," she whispered.

Then the clouds rumbled with thunder and the sunbeam was shut out. Sabere scrambled to her feet – they were there, they were still alive – or at least Storm was. Kurt struggled to his feet and wrapped his arms around her. She tried to protest, but he took a deep breath, and suddenly they were back in London, right where the light had been.

Rain had plastered all the dust into mud, coating the rubble with thin slime, making their search slippery. They shouted names, looked for signs, everything, but there was no response. Finally a clatter of rock and steel attracted Sabere's attention, and she turned to see Scott leading the way out from under the twisted remains of a skyscraper. He was supporting Jean, who hung limply from his shoulder.

"Is she okay?" Sabere asked anxiously.

"Just tired," Jean answered weakly as Scott gently sat her in the street. "Angel's wing could use a look, though…"

Angel followed Kitty and Tabitha out of the wreckage, his right wing dangling and dragging through the mud. Sabere ran her fingers gently through the feathers, grimacing in sympathy when he winced.

"Wait…" Kurt whispered. "There are three missing."

"Psylocke was captured right before the explosion," Storm said. "Beast and Colossus were right with us – I don't know where they went."

Sabere only half-listened as she knitted together the sturdy bones of his wing, reattaching tendons and smoothing skin. This was trickier than anything she'd done – the bone structure was much different, the bones larger but hollow and more fragile. She had no idea how to fix the broken feathers, but when Angel stretched out the mended wing and beamed, she decided they wouldn't be a problem.

From farther down the block, they heard an agonized roar and saw a silver fist punch out of the rubble.

"Piotr!" Kitty took off towards him, then came to a stop when she saw what else Colossus had with him. He strode slowly back towards them, rain glistening on his silvery face, carrying the body of Beast.

"Is he…" Storm asked. Sabere ran past her, trying to find more energy to save him, but Colossus shook his head as she approached. "It is too late," he said quietly. "He was dead before the explosion. I took him with me…I did not know what would happen to his body…"

"Thank you, Piotr," Scott murmured. Jean and Sabere each stretched out a shaking hand to lift Hank's body out of his arms. /_He is a brave boy, to do that kind of thing,/ _Jean said in her mind. Sabere could only nod, her throat closed with grief.

"Kurt, make sure we're clear back to the jet," Scott said quietly. Kurt nodded and vanished with the familiar _bamf._ Sabere watched the skies, waiting for him to come back, and suddenly saw him appear in a cloud of smoke sixty floors up, falling.

Sabere flung up a hand to catch him, setting him down gently on the sidewalk. He looked as it he had just woken up, and immediately slumped against her. "I have overdone it," he said, his small smile obscured by his indigo hair. "But our exit is clear."

Gambit came to help carry Kurt, half-conscious, through the city. Storm detached her cape to lay over Beast, and Jean carried him alone, though the telekinetic strain was visible on her face. The party made their way silently, grieving, to the edge of London.

Sabere thought about the battle, wondering if Apocalypse would call it his victory or theirs. They had deflected his final attack – or at least Jean had, since Psylocke had already been captured and Sabere couldn't help – but that meant –

"You held the shield alone?" she asked Jean in amazement.

Jean glanced at her, strained and exhausted. "No…well, in a way…" She frowned, and her eyes unfocused, although her step never wavered and Beast's body kept its steady course. "I got into his mind, and somehow aimed the blast away from us…it still hit hard, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been…His mind was so easy to get to."

She let this news sink in. The most powerful mutant in history had a defenseless mind? It didn't seem possible…_he must have been distracted_, she decided. _If only Xavier was awake…he could figure it out_.

They were fifty feet from the jet when the rumbling began.


	20. 20: The Blue Cage

Chapter 20: The Blue Cage

"He's back," Kurt whispered, trying to find the strength to stand on his own. Why, why had he pushed himself? Sabere slipped out from under his arm to take a shielding position in the front, and Kurt tried to avoid leaning to heavily on Gambit.

"Here, _mon ami_," Gambit whispered, handing him his treasured staff. "Gambit t'ink you're needin' it more than I." He flicked two cards into each hand and watched them flare pink, waiting for the attack…

The others braced themselves, waiting for the worst. Seconds ticked by…the rumbling continued…

And stopped. Kurt leaned on Gambit's staff, peering into the rainy city. Nothing was happening…

A blinding blue light made them all cry out, and Kurt curled into a ball, covering his eyes. The glow was painful…

With an audible snap, the light vanished, and Kurt looked up. His eyes must have had to adjust, because his vision was all blue…no, his eyes were fine…

"Oh, God," Storm murmured. "The shield."

Apocalypse's shield was back, and they were trapped in London.

-----

"It's no good," Jean sighed finally. She had been trying to reach both Psylocke and Xavier, but the shield blocked even her formidable telepathy, and Psylocke was apparently unconscious. "Betsy's gone, and even if the Professor could hear us, he couldn't do anything…"

"What does Apocalypse want? Why hasn't he challenged us?" Piotr snapped. "It's been almost twenty minutes. He won his damned wager, why doesn't he do anything?"

"He's playing mind games now," Scott answered dully, standing guard over Beast's body. "He's waiting for us to finally give up."

"Haven't we?" Piotr slumped as Kitty hugged his huge shoulders. Sabere shook her head and stood up. "It's not the end," she murmured, almost to herself, trying to convince herself.

"Well, we are close, aren't we?" Piotr said viciously, shrugging off Kitty's arm and jumping up. "Apocalypse has taken Europe and next he will move to New York City. You have seen what will happen to us there – and is it any comfort that we will escape this, only to die there?"

"Piotr, stop it -!"

"She's right! It's not the end, but it is the last page! The book ends here, and it will close when we reach New York." He pulled away and stalked into the shadows. "There is no _point_ to hope anymore."

Sabere stared vacantly into the heart of London, feeling tears run down her cheeks as Piotr said every word she wanted to, all the truths she had feared in her core. This was their last step before the end…the glaring light pressed down on her and she sat down in the street again, overwhelmed. "Kurt…" she whispered, half calling him and half wishing for happier times, and suddenly a hand was around hers, pulling her to her feet. But it was not Kurt's – it was Logan's.

"'We will try, and we will fail, because we are the X-Men and we will die for the people we protect.' Remember that?" he whispered. Sabere nodded half-heartedly.

"Xavier said it…when we realized how this fight would end…"

"We will end it well." She looked up at him in surprise, and saw a fierce fire in his eyes, something she had seen before – the fire he had when he knew the end was coming and he intended to take as many of the bad guys with him as he could. "Now go find your elf."

Sabere turned and found herself face-to-face with Mystique. "Still can't keep your hands off the other guy's girls, can you, Logan," she taunted.

Furious energy filled her, and Sabere flung her hand out in a telekinetic slap that – to her surprise – threw Mystique across the street.

"_Here they come!_" Angel flung himself into the sky at Magneto, but that was all she saw before she was enclosed in fire.

She screamed and threw out a shield, pushing the fire away and flinging some of it back at its creator – Pyro, sprinting down the street, laughing. The Horsemen knew they had won, on all levels, and the fact that they had caught the X-Men unaware thrilled them. They pushed their advantage ruthlessly, and Sabere had the cold sick feeling in her stomach that this might as well be the end. They were mice caught between huge, sadistic cats, and they didn't intend to leave survivors.

_But they have to. We still have enough for New York._

Spurred by this grim knowledge, she ran to join the battle against Pyro but _magneto's trick_ a huge shock wave threw her against a building, stunned. She huddled against a car, out of sight – or so she thought.

"Sabere, move!" Suddenly Pyro was standing over her, Kurt's arms were around her, and flames wrapped around them both – and just as suddenly, they were lying burned and aching at the feet of Apocalypse.

"Oh." Kurt said quietly.

The huge metallic arm reached slowly down to pick him up and fling him against a tipped-over bus. A scream ripped from Sabere's throat, and without thinking, she plunged one of her knives into his ankle. He roared, a bellow that made the clashing and shrieks of battle sound like children laughing, and Sabere stared up in utter fear. Apocalypse's face twisted into that terrifying scowl from her nightmares, and she remembered Xavier's fears – that Apocalypse would simply kill her when he had taken what he needed from her. His hand twisted into a sadistic blue knife of energy, which plunged towards her face –

And she was gone.

-----

Cold steel against her cheek woke her. Amazing – she was alive. The fire was gone – but so was her hearing, or else the battle had ended. Her head ached – she couldn't even think – but she wasn't sure she wanted to, because if she did any thinking she would decide she was lying alone in the streets of London under the blue shield with the bodies of her friends around her _stop thinking_ – and the burn on her back was throbbing. _Kurt saved me. _She rolled over, wincing as the metal beneath her – a car hood, maybe? – chilled the wound and took away some of the pain. Blue light filtered through her eyelids before she even had the capacity to really see – but she had a feeling she knew what awaited her.

But she was wrong.

The blue light was not the shield, as she had expected. A rectangle of it glared down at her, twenty feet above her. Featureless metal walls surrounded her, with the seams of a door barely visible in one. They had been defeated…and they were captured, not dead. Cold fear sank in as Sabere realized she didn't even know if they were still in London, or what had happened to the rest of the X-Men – and to Kurt.

Adrenaline threw her into action, and she ignored the searing pain in her back as she lunged at the cold door.

"_No!_ No, no no no!" She hammered on the door and screamed. "Kurt! Storm! Anyone! Remy! Goddammit, someone! _Kurt!_" She screamed names and curses till her voice gave out and her fists ached. Hoarse and sobbing, she slumped to the floor of her cell, clawing half-heartedly at the floor and whimpering names. They were gone…captured, separated, maybe she was the only one left…the book had closed…

_Child, what are you doing?_

Sabere's head snapped up. A voice – it sounded so familiar –

What _was_ she doing? She had panicked. She took a deep breath and drew herself up, sitting cross-legged in front of the door with her hands upturned in her lap. There was a way out of here – there always was – it would just take time to find it.

Storm had not wasted any time. Being claustrophobic was bad enough – being trapped in a blue hell-lit box, with no idea as to where she was or what had happened to her friends, was terrible – and infuriating. She gathered the anger, took its strength, and blasted the door. Lightning snapped at the shining metal door, so bright that even Storm had to look away, but when she finally slumped in exhaustion the door was unchanged. Finally she, too, gave in, and gave the door a solid punch and Apocalypse a screamed curse. All she wanted now was the chance to squeeze the life from his chuckling throat…

Jean didn't even bother attacking the door. She had given it a cursory exam when she'd revived, and the results did not surprise her – Apocalypse knew everything about their powers, and had designed his cells to be completely and wholly impenetrable. So she sat calmly on the floor and stretched her mind, trying to find leaks in the cell through which she could contact the others – if they were still alive.

_/Hello?/_

_Go away. I hurt_.

_/It's me, it's Betsy. Are you all right?/_

_Betsy._ Kurt groaned and shifted on the cold metal floor. He'd worn himself out completely trying to teleport out of his cell, and passed out. And oh, he hurt – the burn – he had shielded Sabere – _Sabere! Where is she?_

New panic energized him, and he sat up, head swimming, hair across his face. The voice – it had claimed to be Psylocke, but she'd been captured –

A pink glowing blade stabbed through the cell door and swept cleanly down, across, up, across – "Move to the side!" Kurt quickly obeyed, and with a fierce shriek, Psylocke kicked in the rectangle she'd carved out of the door and peered in. "Can you walk?"

"Yes – yes, I think I can." He stepped unsteadily out into the corridor – damn the blue lights! They were everywhere – and was delighted to see Cyclops and Kitty had already been freed. "How did you –" he started to ask.

"Honestly, if one more person asks me – can't you see we're in a bit of a hurry?" She moved on to the next door, while Kitty stuck her hand through another to pull Storm out. "The doors are only impenetrable from the inside. Obviously he wasn't expecting anyone to be able to get to them from the outside." Kurt watched the doors anxiously, and ignored Jean as she threw herself into Scott's arms. Logan wasted no time slashing through one of the doors to release Angel. Kurt's heart soared when Kitty's hand reappeared through the door clasping Sabere's, and the girl dodged out of the way with a smirk as Sabere flung her arms around him in relief.

"That's everyone," Psylocke said briskly. "Now all of you, follow me, and _run_. I've found a way out but it will not be easy with you great noisy lugs. Keep up."

The group ran after her, as quietly as they could managed (which three-hundred-pound Piotr was having more trouble with than others), weapons drawn and powers ready. Psylocke led them up stairs, through several intersections of hallway, and finally out a door into the street. They immediately crowded into a triangular space formed when the face of a skyscraper fell off against another building.

"What happened to Beast?" Scott asked.

"He wasn't in the compound. I looked." Psylocke glared stonily out at the rain, back towards their prison – which had been constructed under an ordinary-looking condominium.

"He's out there," Sabere said distantly, her hand pointing lazily out to the north. "Right where we left him."

The others exchanged glances. "Sabere," Jean said carefully, "You don't have telepathy and even I can't sense the dead."

"The Phoenix told me."

Raised eyebrows all around. Kurt shifted closer, looking into her eyes, but Sabere looked perfectly sane. "I'll go get him," Jean said finally, and sprinted from their cave, darting through shadows. They waited silently for a moment, watching the rain fall on the silent city.

-----

"This is too easy," Angel said finally.

"The shield is still up, that's why." Betsy grumbled. "I can't take care of everything. Even if they're figured out we've escaped, it's not like we can get far."

"So we're still trapped?"

"I can get us out." Sabere wasn't sure why she spoke – she just felt like she _knew._ She was just as certain about their escape as she was about Beast's body. "Distract the Horsemen and be ready to run – and be prepared to possibly leave me behind."

"Not – " Kurt started to object, but Cyclops shook his head and stopped the words. He looked up at Sabere, and through the emotionless visor she saw the eyes of a friend, looking deep into hers. "Don't make me make that choice."

He laid out a few stones as landmarks and started explaining a strategy, but Sabere wasn't listening. She squeezed Kurt's hand to reassure him, but if he didn't buy it she didn't blame him – her madness and suicidal tendencies weren't exactly new. But she knew what she was doing, somehow…how…

_I can help you._

_But there must be a trade. Is this it? My sacrifice?_

_Would the answer change your resolve?_

_…No._

_The Horsemen have found you. Leave now._

Sabere sprang up, leaped into the skies and immediately drew the attention of the approaching Horsemen. Vaguely she heard the shouts of the other X-Men as they ran below her towards the jet, while the Horsemen, caught by surprise, tried to form an attack. Pyro was the first to recover – jets of flame snaked towards her, but Sabere, without a thought, waved out a hand to throw up a shield. A shimmering wall of fiery energy formed between her and her enemies, encircling her, warming and strengthening her. Amazing, this power – unbelievably effortless, so safe – She grinned at her enemies and spread her arms – flaming wings – challenging anything and everything.

Faintly, she heard Jean's panicked mindvoice, shouting at her to reject the power – she heard the rest of her teammates shouting for the shield.

Oh yes. The shield. A challenge.

She turned her head and launched herself at it like a torpedo, fists clenched ahead of her. "_Now!_" The cry echoed through the ruins of London like an eagle's scream…

Her fists flared white-hot as she impacted the shield. All around her for fifty feet, the blue glare faltered and was washed away by a rippling wave of orange power. The jet was there…

But the power was gone…

She vaguely realized she was falling before she blacked out.

-----

"How's she doing?" Storm called from the cockpit as the jet hurtled as fast as they dared to push it over the Atlantic.

"She has a pulse now – so, better," Kurt answered. Sabere lay across three seats, her leg across Gambit's and her head in Kurt's lap. Kurt sat twisted in his seat so Jean could bandage his burns – Sabere's had mysteriously healed themselves.

"How far are we? Any followers?" Jean asked.

"We're doing well. Don't think anyone's coming." Scott was focused on flying, occasionally flipping switches and diverting power so they could go faster. "We got lucky."

Kitty began, "Is Sabere – "

"We should be grateful her heart started again," Jean snapped, then took a deep breath and apologized. They were all too high-strung…they had escaped doom beyond all hopes, but Sabere's strange new power – this Phoenix – scared them, and if she was dead… "I don't know yet," Jean amended, and finished with Kurt's burns.

Kurt studied Sabere's unconscious face and tried not to think of Alkali Lake – because two telekines suddenly showing unstoppable new powers, including the manifestation of firelike wings, could not be unrelated. Stopping a flood, punching through an impenetrable shield…

_/They're not. It's the same thing./ _Jean returned to her seat next to Angel and busied herself with a gash on his back, giving no hint that she was communicating. ­­/_She's been having dreams about it – I know she told you – and I knew it was the same thing that happened to me, only this time it actually communicated with her. When it came to me, I just noticed more power until…/_ A rush of images, a feeling of cold, and fear. Kurt shook his head.

_/What will it do to her?/_

_/I can't tell,/ _she answeredhelplessly. _/This is so different…the circumstances of its arrival, the way it's interacting with her, the kinds of powers it's giving her…I don't know./_ She made eye contact for only a moment before moving on to a small burn on Angel's scalp. _/I think you're right to be worried about her. She'll need you, now more than ever./_

Kurt tried to contain the sudden rush of love and fear for her, all the memories of their time together, everything that summed up his love – but it was no use and Jean smiled a little. _/It's nothing to be ashamed about. I see how Scott feels all the time – and it looks like you're doing everything right./ _ She glanced over at him again. _/You're good together. I'm happy for you./_

_/If only the circumstances were different – all of them./_

He felt Sabere sigh a little, and saw her eyelids flutter. "She's awake!" he said sharply, and immediately Jean was back at his side, studying her face.

"'S the big deal?" Sabere asked blurrily.

"We thought it had killed you," Kurt answered gently. "You hit the ground at almost fifty miles per hour. It's a miracle nothing was even broken."

"I shielded m'self, genius," she muttered. "Not that dumb…I got us out. The Phoenix did."

They met eyes again. ­_/This doesn't sound like her./. _"It 'got us out' last time by killing me," Jean reminded her. "You have to understand how worried we were."

"It said it wanted a sacrifice, but it just left…guess it still needs me or somethin'…"

Kurt fought away the cold fear that was knotting in his stomach. Jean glanced up at him, fear written in her face. _/Not good../_

He poured sarcasm into the thought – his favorite defense. _/Really?/_

"Sabere, stay with me." Jean turned Sabere's face so she had to make eye contact. "Remember I told you to refuse it – now you need to, more than ever. It did what it wanted just now and discarded you, threw you away to live or die. Next time, it won't be so gentle."

"It'll be worth it," Sabere whispered with a smile. "'S gonna save us…Xavier…" She passed out again, leaving anyone who had heard even more confused.


	21. 21: The Third Trumpet

Chapter 21: The Third Trumpet

The next time Sabere woke up, she was lying in the underground infirmary with almost half the X-Men. At first she panicked – she was the healer, and all this had happened while she had been out? Who was in danger?

"No one," Jean answered clearly. She was changing bandages on Angel's burn, and as Sabere glanced over the rest of the wounded, she saw more of the same – mostly-healed burns, some scrapes, and only one broken arm – Gambit's.

"Once you're able to move around," Jean continued, "I'd like you to look at Angel's wing – I think it broke in the same place, and it's a bit out of my area of expertise."

Without hesitating, Sabere swung her legs off the table and strode over to check on Angel, beaming at Kurt as she went. "How long was I out?"

Jean stared at her like she'd come back from the dead. "Do you even remember why you were unconscious?"

Sabere paused as she realized she didn't, exactly. "The Phoenix got us through the shield…" _but what else?_

"For one thing, you hit the ground from almost thirty feet in the air after punching through that shield, which would have taken the combined energies of all the X-Men with any amount of aggressive telekinetic abilities to even waver. You woke up on the plane and insisted everything was going to be fine, that the Phoenix was going to save us." She took a deep breath and looked at Sabere for an explanation.

Sabere laid her fingers in the pure white feathers and settled into the familiar healing process. "Xavier." _What about him?_ she thought. _I'm going to save him_. "How is he?"

"In and out of consciousness," Jean answered warily. "He was able to meet us when we landed, but he's very weak – he can't leave his room anymore, and he's been unconscious for almost eight hours now."

Sabere heard the Phoenix's shriek in the back of her mind and forced it away, moving instead to Kurt's mostly-healed back. The power had a name, and an avatar – the Phoenix – but now it also had a consciousness, a mind that studied situations and made decisions without necessarily caring about the costs. Sabere had no doubt that it would help them, but there was a faint tingling fear attached to that doubt…why had it let her live after rescuing them from London, and what other doom did it have in store for her?

The room swung in a circle and she had to grab onto Kurt's shoulder to steady herself. "_Liebchen?_ What is it?"

"Tired, I think…you never told me how long I was out."

"Twenty-one hours," Jean answered briskly. "Go up and get some rest."

Sabere's hand slipped idly from Kurt's and she wandered out to the elevators, trying to figure out why hearing his old name for her stirred memories that felt like someone else's.

She was so disoriented that she didn't even jump when Kurt 'ported into her room as she dug out her old pajamas. She turned to face him with a smile that (she felt) was just like old, but Kurt was not smiling.

"You are different."

"I'm tired."

"Let me see your eyes." He crouched on her desk and took her chin in his fingers, staring into her eyes – and through them. Whatever he was looking for, it didn't seem to be there. She pulled back, growing angry although she didn't know why. "What's wrong?"

"I know we are all exhausted and distressed from the battles, and things are not going to get any better from now on – in fact, if your visions are right, the only thing we have to look forward to is the possibility of heaven."

_Visions. Reassurance of mortals who cannot comprehend the intricacies of time and space._

"But you have been acting differently, and it isn't because of our fate – you've been acting just as you ought to since you had that vision." He looked around the room, searching for words. "Now it's like you're _beyond_ it. I can read you now – I love you and we are going to be married, and you can't think you're hiding things from me. Now, it is like you've…you are floating above it. You are doing what you want, or need, to do, because you know something else is coming." He peered into her eyes again. "Because something else has happened to you."

"Jean told you about the Phoenix."

"It is what killed her five years ago! You cannot think we are not horribly worried about you."

"You don't need to be." She slipped calmly out of her shirt, distantly thinking it wasn't the most decorous thing to do at the time.

Kurt heaved a sigh. "I wish you would give this more focus."

She pulled a sweatshirt over her head, chuckling. "What, you're upset because I took my shirt off? It's not like it's anything new."

"That is hardly what concerns me the most right now. Sabere as I knew her would have recognized that something beyond her control was toying with her for its own purposes, and no matter what it promised, she would have fought it. She would not be laughing it off and insisting everything was going to be fine."

_But it will be._

"It will be." Sabere took his hands and brushed hair out of his eyes. "Kurt, I promise, everything will turn out as it should."

"'As it should' is not the same as 'fine.'" He let her kiss him for only a moment before 'porting out again.

In that same distant corner, Sabere worried that this did not bother her as much as it should.

-----

_She wanders among the ruins of the city. New York – she's been here before. Sadness overwhelms her. She crouches in the dusty street, wanting to cry. But one cannot cry in these dreams. Tears are for the physical world. The power is there again. It stands calmly on a tumble of steel and concrete, its light simmering deep within, begging to be let loose on this dead city. She sees, finally, that the power is truly a Phoenix, a bird, massively and terrifyingly powerful – a tyrant posing as a grandfather._

_Sabere stands uneasily. -I've seen you before-._

_The bird nods. I have visited you before this night. You called me._

_-I did?-_

_Yes. You need my help._

_She shakes her head in frustration. Of course she needs its help! Apocalypse is ready to destroy everything. The X-Men need all the help they can get. _

_The bird still sits calmly. That is not why you need me. Not directly._

_-What, then?-_

_The head turns, and a single eye shares its glowing energy in one slow, deliberate blink. The one called Xavier is ill. He is dying. You know this, as do your friends. Yet you do not help him._

_-I can't.-_

_That is true. Alone, you cannot save the life of Xavier. That is why you called me._

_-I don't remember calling you.-_

_No – you would not. I am something that cannot tangibly be summoned. I listen to all, and respond to those with the purest and most vital desires of the heart._

_-But say you're dangerous, maybe mad – why do you help the pure?-_

_Who else deserves it more? And I am not mad – I simply see options that mortals do not appreciate. Tell me – why do you need to save Xavier so badly? _

_Unlawful tears press in her eyes and throat. -Because we need him – because he is the only one who can stop Apocalypse.-_

_Surely you have more cause to save him than for a weapon. You love him, as do your friends, yes?_

_-Yes.-_

_The bird, the power, nods its magnificent head. That seems pure, does it not? For this reason I come to your aid. I am, as you have seen, power. Energy. I can supplement you enough to heal Xavier. You know who I am, do you not?_

_Memories – the flood, Alkali, Jean, death. Wings of fire enclosing her own arms, a feeling of invincible benevolence -You are the Phoenix.-_

_I am – the Phoenix Force. As a telepath, I could hear Jean's cries. I listened for days, helping her secretly when she needed it most. Then the flood came, and her deepest desire came clear – she would save her friends, no matter the cost. I came to her in full then._

_-But I am no telepath. How could you hear me? How can you help me?-_

_Your healing talents connect you on a most intimate level to any and all around you. Your very cells and energies are bound to those you heal on such a microscopic plane that telepathy seems loud and intrusive. These healing powers speak to me louder than any telepath could._

_-Yet you heard Jean, and helped her – and killed her anyway.-_

_The bird does not change, always proud, always powerful. It is not influenced by the whims and morals of mortals – it chooses its fights, the noblest and best, and does not care about the price so long as it wins. That was the price she chose. Would you not have done the same?_

_Fear now. Emotions seem so much more raw in dreams. It abandoned her to die…and yet all her friends had been saved because of it. -I – I would. For Xavier, for the X-Men, for the world, yes, I would.- _

_The Phoenix seems to smile. You have not always been willing to pay that price. You have grown. Yet I doubt you will need to give your life. My energies can only suffice so much in the physical state. Jean, by giving her material life to me, was able to transcend the barriers of physicality and accept my energies in their raw, pure, unimpeded form. With your own emotional energies, and mine as I can give them in the physical state, there will be enough to heal Xavier._

_Even in a dream, Sabere's head could hurt. The concept of energies flowing through physical matter is overwhelming, even in the dream world when the most absurd concepts seem logical. Sabere nods in agreement. -But if there is not enough – you will kill me.-_

_The Phoenix nods solemnly – perhaps there _is _a touch of madness is those fiery eyes. If you do not accept that possibility, I cannot help you. _

_She lifts her head defiantly. -I will pay your price, if necessary.-_

_Then we have an agreement, the Phoenix replies calmly. I will aid you as I can to heal Xavier._

_-What about London? I did not ask you to help there.-_

_If I had not, you would not be here for me to help again. Definitely madness in that sweet voice now – but it is gone so quickly she thinks she imagined it. _

_-We're all going to be killed when we confront him in New York City – can you help that?-_

_Killed?_

_-I had a vision. They've – _

_-Never been wrong before, yes, I've heard you say this. But now tell me, are you absolutely certain beyond any question that your vision is correct and you will all die?_

_She hesitates. –My visions are never wrong.-_

_You have such blind faith in your own powers, except the ones that are concrete and certain. Sabere almost wants to tell it to stop – she feels that if the bird became angry, it would not end well…  The future is so clouded no one can truly discern it, no matter what anyone tells you. You should not be so quick to trust these visions of destruction when you refuse to accept the full potential of your other powers. In fact, it would be wise to not put so much faith in your powers at all. They are not always reliable._

_How can it suggest this? To Sabere, it seems blasphemous against the teachings of Xavier. -If we don't have faith in our powers we have nothing! The X-Men exist to help the world with their powers!-_

_I never said to distrust your powers. I said to trust your own logic. Do not accept anything as possible, yet do not refuse anything because it seems impossible._

_The bird suddenly seems to enfold her. Fire, warm and comforting, wraps around her as she hangs in space. The face of the Phoenix Force stares benevolently at her, its eyes now shining with powerful yet compassionate flames. Sabere finally surrenders to the power's words. Do not despair. I can only help you so much, but I can tell you now that you will not be defeated._

Jean sat curled up on the edge of the bed, chin tucked into her knees, listening in on Sabere's dream, cold fear and memories swarming in her mind. Scott's arms slid around her waist and she felt his head rest on her shoulder.

"Leave it alone, Jean. Go to sleep."

"She's given in. I don't know what will happen to her now."

Scott lightly kissed her neck and jaw. "It's not in her hands. You, of all of us, know that…besides, after New York it won't really matter, will it?"

"Scott, it's mad! It's powerful, and it loves being in human body, a powerful one at that. It may survive New York, it may even help Apocalypse."

"Never. Sabere won't let it. Honey, please, relax – neither of us are going to get any sleep if you're frantic about what-ifs all night."

She sighed and leaned against him. "I know. What happens will happen, and we'll take care of it."


	22. 22: Rogue Attacks

Chapter 22: Rogue Attacks

"Kurt." He stirred sleepily. "_Kurt!_"

"Huh?" He sat upright, looking around in confusion.

"Kurt, something's wrong," the voice hissed. "I heard something."

"Sabere?"

"Get up, dammit! Someone's in the mansion. I need you to take me up to Jean's room." Sabere dropped down onto his bed, and he quickly 'ported them upstairs.

The light was on, and Rogue was standing over the unconscious bodies of Scott and Jean.

"Rogue?" he asked hesitantly. She turned slowly to face them, her skunk-stripe hair sliding across her shoulders. She was dressed entirely in black, which made the vicious red glow of her eyes – Apocalypse's red – even more startling.

She bared her teeth and leaped for them, but Kurt flung his arms around Sabere and took them outside.

"Wake up!" Sabere screamed into the dark. "We're under attack!"

"_No!_" The door glowed pink for a moment and exploded out – Rogue had already attacked and imprinted Gambit. She crouched in the hall, glaring, and with speed and agility equal to Mystique's heightened powers, managed to wrap her hands around Kurt's wrist.

The shock threw him to the floor, gasping for breath as his lungs froze. He felt like his very life was being drawn out through his wrist – and she wouldn't stop – _I saved you once – you're one of us – stop –_

Suddenly Rogue was gone, and Sabere was standing over him, fists clenched. Rogue shrieked and attacked, throwing punches and kicks that even he would have trouble blocking. He wanted to help her – but he still couldn't breathe –

_Bamf – bamf – bamf – _Rogue figured out teleporting almost immediately, and after that Sabere had no chance. By the time Kurt managed to catch his breath and get up to help, Sabere was sprawled on the floor and Rogue had 'ported away.

"Who else has she gotten?" Kurt asked hoarsely, helping her sit up.

"No idea – and she already had Logan, Bobby, and Magneto from when she first came here – she'll hit the whole mansion – "

"She's unstoppable," Kurt said. "Apocalypse has made her into the perfect soldier – ruthless and powerful."

"Not as powerful as he is," Sabere said grimly. "We can stop her."

Something huge crunched on the ceiling, followed by a grunt and loud curses in Russian. Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Two telekines, a healing factor, magnetic manipulation, and now steel skin? What else does she need?"

They realized who was left at the same time. "_Xavier_." Sabere seized his shoulders and he took them up to Xavier's room.

Xavier was sitting up, an IV in his arm, brow furrowed with concentration. This was the first time Kurt had seen him in several days, and he definitely looked worse. He was pale and had lost far too much weight – and yet there he was, sitting and focusing, holding his strength. Before they could try to defend him, Rogue 'ported into the room accompanied by a cloud of red smoke and strode confidently towards Xavier.

Her hand stretched out for his head, but Xavier held up his own hand, and suddenly she froze in her tracks. She frowned, grimaced, and struggled, her fingers grasping as she tried to imprint him. Kurt thought he saw the air between them shimmer. Xavier's face contorted and he was shaking with strain, but Rogue was worse – she sank to her knees, mouth open in a silent howl, hands clawing. Suddenly she screamed and collapsed facefirst onto the bed, her hand flopping harmlessly next to Xavier's legs.

Before either of them could congratulate him, Xavier exhaled in a long groan and slumped over next to Rogue. Sabere was at his side immediately. "Get Jean."

_Bamf – _"It's Xavier." Jean embraced him and _bamf_ – back into the Professor's room, where Sabere was trying to move him into a more comfortable position. "He fought off Rogue, and collapsed – I can't tell what happened – "

Jean immediately took over and Sabere stepped back to wrap an arm around Kurt's waist. He absentmindedly brushed her shoulder while Scott carried Rogue out of the room and Jean examined Xavier. Minutes ticked by, and the doorway slowly filled with the other X-Men and some students. Finally Jean looked up, tears in her eyes.

"He's in a coma."

A hush fell over the crowd outside the door. "But…" Sabere's hand tightened around his waist. "We need him, Jean."

"I know. There's nothing we can do for him anymore, other than set up life support and pray." She drew the blankets up to his chin and turned down the lights, taking in a deep breath to hold off sobs. "We have to finish this without him."


	23. 23: Let Go and Take The Final Steps

Chapter 23: Let Go And Take The Final Steps 

Jean watched through her tears as Rogue sank slowly into a chair, grief and horror contorting her face. Xavier had managed to break Apocalypse' hold on her, but despite the relief that brought to the X-Men, it was also a new cause of grief as they watched one of their youngest hear the news about the deaths of Bobby Drake and Hank McCoy. Telling her had not been easy, especially after Rogue's tearful account of her torture at the hands of both Apocalypse and Magneto, and how terrified she had been watching herself attack her friends in battle. Jean couldn't think of anything else to say – telling her about the cure was definitely not an option – and motioned for everyone else to clear out the room.

"We should have a service for them," Scott said quietly as Jean closed the door behind them. "We don't know what'll happen to the rest of us over the next couple days, and even if it doesn't left spirits much, at least there'll be…"

"Closure," Kurt agreed. "And though it pains me to say it, it will remind them all of who we still have with us."

Jean only half-listened as the two of them decided that Kurt should lead the service, reading scripture and maybe letting the other residents share their stories. Her attention was mostly on Sabere, who was leaning against the banister and staring vacantly down the stairs. Jean gently and carefully touched her mind, so gently that she shouldn't have noticed –

But her head jerked up and her eyes flicked back towards the X-Men. _/It's making me more aware./_ she said. The serene, detached voice she usually spoke with now was gone from her mind-voice, and below the usual layer of aloof calmness was a swirl of fear and uncertainty.

_/You can still force it out,/_ Jean urged.

_/Not anymore./ _Now there was wistfulness in her voice – the knowledge that things could have been differently – should have been – and yet this was her fate. _/It's part of me now, just like it was with you. I am the Phoenix now./_

She looked over her shoulder with a sad smile and went down the stairs in the dark gray of dawn. Jean watched her leave, and kept staring into the woodwork until Storm finally had to tap her arm to get her attention again.

"Will she be okay?"

Jean looked at Kurt, the only other one who knew how much she had been changed. Kurt shook his head almost imperceptibly.

_They deserve one false hope. _ "We'll find out when the time comes."

-----

Sabere wandered into the kitchen, the distant corner of her mind that was still hers weeping. It had only been two days – _I guess this is the start of three –_ since she'd gotten back on her feet, but already the Phoenix seemed to have settled permanently into her mind. Sabere wandered through the mansion, sometimes on her own will, sometimes because the Phoenix wanted to see it. When she was in conversation, she found herself often staring off into space, while still absorbing everything being said (and then some, with her occasional telepathy the Phoenix brought with it). She knew the others were worried about her, but whenever they tried to ask her about it she'd say over and over, "Everything will be fine," though she was growing less and less sure that it would be.

Jean was the only one who knew the truth – _I am the Phoenix now._ What would she do about it?

Could they stop her – the Phoenix – if they had to?

_I'm not the one they should be worrying about._

Then suddenly she was in New York City, cowering under an avalanche of rubble, hearing the screams of battle, roaring fire, and somewhere Apocalypse laughing.

_It's time and the X-Men are outnumbered. We need Xavier! Too late, no time – fight through this one and bring him back for the next. _

_Fire and pain – and the blue lights – _

_The shining tower._

_It's time._

_Angel had a killing blow lined up but Magneto got in the way – he's falling from the sky – _

_The blue lights and the horrible laugh meld into a huge devastating force, and Sabere feels the X-Men vanish from her mind – _

_It's time – _

"Not yet!" she screamed. The she looked up. She was curled on the floor with her hands over her ears, and her friends were running downstairs to get to her.

_Not again not again not yet…_

"What happened?" Kurt 'ported into the kitchen and helped her sit up. "Another vision?"

"He's here," she whispered. "Apocalypse. He's in New York."

"Already?"

Jean looked up at the ceiling, apparently hearing a telepathic call. "Kitty says it's already on the news – "

And sure enough, there it was – the blue beacon stabbing out of the heart of Manhattan, and the flames and explosions blossoming out around it. Already tanks were rolling in. Other channels featured newscasters just trying to cover pre-dawn robberies, now broadcasting the last story of their lives as cars flew through the air and explosions rocked the streets. Some stations had already been wiped out, the screen showing the grim white emergency broadcast.

"Time to go?" Storm asked quietly.

Jean nodded. "Scott wants to get it over with."

They marched grimly out to the elevators, running into several students gathered on the balcony and stairs, watching, hoping for guidance. They all stood in silence while various TVs announced new destruction in their own country. One of the younger girls, another weather manipulator, ran down the stairs and threw herself into Storm's arms, crying. Scott emerged on the balcony, silhouetted against the gray dawn, Logan and Tabitha at his side. He looked down at them, his face unreadable behind the red glasses and shadows.

"I don't need to tell any of you what we're up against," he said quietly, both to the students and to his comrades. "If what we've heard is true, we won't be coming back. You'll be on your own, and I can't guarantee what will happen to you afterward."

Frightened whispers echoed in the open hallway. _So much for false hopes._

"Scott, I'll stay." Rogue stood at the top of the stairs, an arm around one of the pajama-clad younglings, her voice shaking but her posture determined. "I still have the powers I absorbed from – before. I'll help the kids."

"Thank you, Rogue." Scott's gaze swept across the gathered X-Men. "Whether or not you believe in fate, ours is out of our hands. Just…I know there isn't a lot to encourage us now, but this is what we were meant to do. Remember what Xavier said – we will try and we will fail, because we are X-Men and we will die for the people we protect."

A faint tremor rumbled through the floor, and all the TV voices fell silent. Sabere had Kurt's hand in a death grip, feeling the ring press into her fingers.

Scott nodded and turned from the balcony. "The last steps, ladies and gentlemen. Let's walk them well."


	24. 24: Day of Judgment

Chapter 24: Day of Judgment

Sabere strained in her little corner of her mind to reach Jean. Her hand was still clenched around Kurt's, but she couldn't say what she wanted to – not here.

She could feel in the older woman's mind that she was already having the conversation with Scott that Sabere wanted with Kurt. Immediately she felt her fiancé's presence in her mind.

And yet, she couldn't say anything.

/_I love you, Sabere,_/ she heard. /_More than I ever thought I could love another._/

/_I love you t - _/ But the Phoenix wouldn't let her finish, and it a wash of fire it returned her mind to the task. She looked grimly up at Kurt, who kissed her forehead. Their goodbyes were said.

-----

Their one blessing was that an early-morning mist still hung over much of the city, and the jet landed silently in Central Park. The rest of the city was blacked out, except for the blue beacon, whose light diffracted through the mist and illuminated several blocks with its hell-glow. The X-Men stood arranged outside the jet, listening to the silence of the city, looking for a cue to attack while simultaneously praying for an excuse to get back on the jet and fly home.

"I shouldn't have come," Tabitha whispered, about to panic. "I'm not ready – I'll mess us all up – "

"Should have thought through that yesterday, Tabby," Scott interrupted. "If we're going to try to survive this, we can't have any doubts about our abilities. This is what all our training has come to, and this is where we can prove ourselves, or die. Sabere, I want you to stay close to Jean and if you see anything familiar that can get us a way out, tell her and maybe we'll make it out of this."

"That's optimistic," Logan muttered.

"That's dreaming," Scott corrected. "This is optimistic: Let's take that bastard down with us."

A tremor shook the streets, and the X-Men slowly spread into the city. Storm, Jean, and Angel led the way overhead, while Nightcrawler disappeared to scope further ahead. Sabere's heart twisted as she wondered if that was the last time she's see him.

"Testing, please copy," Scott's voice whispered in her earpiece. She tapped it response, keeping as quiet as possible. Around her, Colossus and Gambit followed suit.

"Why did we bother with these things? I seem to recall Magneto had a field day with them last time," Logan grumbled in her ear.

"We're not taking any chances this time," Scott replied. "Wait – silence – "

The earpieces crackled painfully and Sabere yanked hers out. "Not Magneto," Gambit said quietly. "They just not working."

"Why not?"

"Doesn't matter. Now shush – I don't like dis."

The city was completely silent. New York City was never quiet – never anything less than a dull roar. It didn't know the meaning of silence before now –

They stood silently in the mist, peering down the streets, squinting through the empty white that swirled around the tops of buildings. Something was whistling – like it was falling –

"Gambit!" she shouted, sensing what was coming. He threw a glowing card up into the air, and the shadow of what had been a wall falling towards them exploded in chunks of rubble. Colossus covered Gambit while Sabere shielded herself and Angel. They reformed immediately, braced for another attack, but nothing came. Sabere took a deep, shaky breath and looked towards downtown, wondering…waiting for the power…

"Let's go, _cherie_," Gambit said quietly. "No more time for worryin'."

She nodded and led the way towards the beacon.

-----

What had once been the Empire State Building was now a massive column of blue light. Sabere's group was still several blocks northwest of the Chrysler Building, but the mists were beginning to wear off and the glow from the huge beacon was probably visible from everywhere in the city. The cloudy dawn light mixed weakly with Apocalypse's beacon, lighting the whole city with a blue sunrise.

_/There's a shield up here,/ _Jean said in their minds. ­­_/Looks different – woven. I think it's what killed the power around here. No communication anywhere, inside or through./_

"That'll complicate things," Colossus murmured.

"'S not like we need an exit strategy," Gambit pointed out cryptically.

_WHOOM_. Somewhere to their left, an explosion filled the misty city with orange light and a male voice screamed.

"Kurt!" Sabere yelled without thinking – but it was his voice, he might be dead –

Gambit's hand clamped over her mouth and he half-dragged her down the next street. Another series of explosions followed them from several blocks behind – _whoom whoom whoom – _until suddenly the intersection in front of them was engulfed in flames. There was no sign of Pyro, nor the other Horsemen.

"Where is he?!" Sabere screamed through the smoke, knives in hand, waiting for an excuse to cause Pyro as much pain as she could manage. She had only felt this rage once before – with Stryker –

_No – I like the fire – fire is life – _

And suddenly her body was consumed in flame. This time, Nightcrawler did not come to her rescue, but she didn't need him – the fire was warm and protective, and almost white in its brightness. _The power._

Over the crackling roar of the inferno, she heard the explosions and whistling wind that signaled the arrival of backup. Storm's rains were useless against the heat, and the air swirled with orange-tinted steam.

She finally saw Pyro aiming into the sky at Angel, and leaped forward, flying between them and projecting the massive Phoenix ahead of her, its flaming beak closing over his head. He screamed and the trails of fire leaping from his hands dwindled. The Phoenix drove them both back to the ground, and Sabere stood in the glowing humid battle, letting her fires rage around him. The Phoenix feasted – this boy had power, power over life itself – the fire grew through her, roaring to fill the intersection – _but my friends are there – _

_/Sabere! Control it!/_

_What?_

Arms wrapped around her waist – huge, cold arms – and flung her away. The Phoenix faded as she collided with concrete and fell to the sidewalk. She blinked, trying to clear her head, and saw Logan standing over her with Colossus, yelling over the roar of fires.

"This is not a good time for you to lose it! We may need the Phoenix, but we don't need it to go crazy and wipe out the city! If you have to destroy something, find Apocalypse!"

_Apocalypse. Enslaver, destroyer of life. Mine._

The Phoenix launched herself into the air, fiery wings lifting her above the skyline, and flew towards the beacon.

-----

"She's moving!"

Logan watched helplessly as Sabere – the Phoenix, whatever it was – soared over the skyscrapers towards Apocalypse's beacon. Storm soared after her, intending to fulfill Scott's orders if necessary – orders Sabere wasn't supposed to know.

"Go easy on her, Windrider," Logan muttered. He peeked out from behind his shelter – a burned-up taxi – and looked for an opening. Pyro lay in the street, badly burned, and Logan didn't expect him to be getting up again. Almost a shame – Logan had never trusted the kid, but he was just lost, and wound up on the wrong side.

A faint groan down an alley drew his attention, and he slipped out of hiding to investigate. He found Nightcrawler curled against the wall, holding his side, white teeth visible in a pained grimace.

"What happened to you?"

"Burned – it's nothing – I'll be okay. Where is Sabere?"

"I think we both know Sabere's been gone for a while. The Phoenix is headed for the beacon."

"We have to stop her! She will be killed!"

"Yeah, if it comes to it." Logan gestured for silence as several cars, apparently flung by Magneto, bounced past the entrance to the alley. Hopefully that bastard was distracted and wouldn't sense Logan – that was the last thing they needed.

"What do you mean?" Nightcrawler hissed as Magneto floated silently past, attention focused on the battle.

"Scott's orders. Wait to see if Sabere can control it, maybe even take Apocalypse down herself, but if she loses it – " He let the elf figure out the rest. Kurt shook his head immediately.

"_Nein…"_

"We can't afford the risk. If she stops Apocalypse on her own, well, great, but if she's too power-happy by then and tries to flatten the whole city…"

One of Magneto's car landed with a crunch only five feet from them. Kurt lunged over Logan, and suddenly they were both on top of a building, two blocks from the beacon. Nightcrawler groaned and rolled back, exposing the burn on his side – the uniform over his entire right torso was blackened and torn, and holes were burned all the way through in places.

Logan shook his head. "One for one."

-----

Sabere circled the beacon, her senses straining for any sign of Apocalypse's whereabouts. The Phoenix was bored and angry – there was a perfectly good battle to fight, but Apocalypse was here hiding, and she needed to stop him – their lives depended on it –

A dark puff of smoke on a nearby tower caught her attention. _Kurt!_ The Phoenix lost its hold and Sabere careened down to land on the roof in a flash of fire.

Kurt lay on his back, his side and chest badly burned. Logan stood over him, claws out, staring north and waiting for the enemy.

"Kurt? Can you hear me?" Sabere slid to her knees on the gravelly roof, the last wisps of the flaming wings fading. Kurt tried to answer but could only gasp in pain. Logan spared a glance backwards.

"I think he's going into shock…"

"No, no, no…" Sabere shook her head, the picture of denial, and stretched out her fingers and watched the familiar blue glow spread over Kurt's wounds. This was complicated – shreds of uniform had to be removed, and the burns were worse in some places than others. She vaguely heard an explosion close by, but kept working.

"We have incoming…may want to pick up the pace a litt –"

Logan's words were cut off as Magneto appeared and, with a twitch of his hand, knocked Logan off the building. Sabere whirled to face him, leaving Kurt mostly healed. Magneto stood calmly on the edge of the roof.

"By now I'm sure you've realized you are on the wrong side."

In answer, Sabere hurled one of her knives at him. Before she could even blink, without Magneto even moving, the knife reversed itself and plunged into her left shoulder. She screamed and fell back next to Kurt.

"I'm sorry I had to do that, but it isn't too late," Magneto continued, coming closer. "I know your doom, and in fact I'm helping orchestrate it as we speak. But with your new power, you can save yourself – Apocalypse will welcome your strength."

Sabere lifted an arm and wrenched the knife from her shoulder. A full two inches of the blade were covered in blood, and she lay gasping for a few moments, feeling muscle knit together as she worked her powers. Magneto's calm and confident voice continued to wash around her, so she was enveloped in only pain and his convincing voice.

"You have become more powerful than the X-Men and their petty goals. The safety and well-being of the entire planet is at stake. Apocalypse needs mutants of your strength and talent at his side – even at his right hand."

At first she was afraid the Phoenix would agree and Sabere would lose all control, but instead the Phoenix filled her with rage and the wings of fire spread across her arms.

"You serve Apocalypse, who is an agent of death. I am Phoenix, the agent of fire and life. I will not follow you!"

She pushed herself to her feet, and a blaze of fire left her outstretched hand and threw Magneto off the building. Alone on the roof with Kurt, she studied the burning New York skyline and felt the familiar cold, sick dread in her gut. This was in her vision…it was getting close…

And suddenly there was silence.

The flames dwindled and vanished from the skyline, and the city lay quiet, full of blue-lit smoke and steam. Sabere ran to the edge and peered off. Magneto was gone, and from the other side of the building, so was Wolverine. New York was silent again.

"Is it…over?" Kurt asked in a whisper, climbing gingerly to his feet.

She shook her head, watching the scenes of her vision over and over, seeing battles she hadn't fought, watching friends die who still lived… "No. This isn't it…"

"_SABERE!_" The cold voice, the voice that had been in her dreams so often, the voice that had torn apart her mind, bellowed from somewhere north of them.

"I suppose now would be a good time to remind you that I love you." Kurt broke the cold silence, but Sabere couldn't even smile.


	25. 25: End Times

A/N: For those keeping score at home, no, there will not be all 7 trumpets. I don't know my Revelations or my Left Behind and I thought there were only 4 trumpets. Anyway, read on.

Chapter 25: End Times

Apocalypse stood waiting in the middle of the once-burning intersection, arms folded across his huge chest, red eyes boring into her from twenty yards away. There was no sign of the other X-Men, nor the Horsemen. She walked alone, navigating through broken chunks of roadway and burned-out husks of cars. Faintly she heard Kurt teleporting through the alleys, looking for the others to mount their final assault. Apocalypse didn't seem to have heard, but suddenly –

A _bamf_ echoed down a nearby alley, and Apocalypse fired a bolt of blue light from his finger into the alley. Expecting the attack, the Phoenix threw up Sabere's hand and the bolt exploded brilliantly against Sabere's shield.

The shock of being thwarted gave Cyclops just enough time to fire full-strength at Apocalypse through a nearby window. The blast caught him right in the shoulder, but Apocalypse only howled in fury and, with a wave of an arm, sent a shock wave into the building that knocked the entire first floor wall in. _Hurry, Kurt…_

Apocalypse grimaced at the wide smoking burn on his shoulder and strode slowly towards Sabere, hand raised, a blue glow surrounding it. He slashed his hand through the air, and a wide knife of blue energy shrieked through the air towards her – something that would have easily killed her in their first battle. Instead she raised both hands in front of her and deflected the blast around her, hearing them slice through cars and buildings behind her. The huge flat skyscraper completely collapsed across the road behind her, raising blue and gray dust. Sabere stood calmly, trying to control her terrified breathing and shaking hands. The vision…the memories were getting stronger…

The huge, machine-like man sneered. "_So this is the same child whose mind I so easily scoured all those months ago._"

"I am not a child, and I am not the woman you remember," Sabere answered clearly, stepping boldly out from the wreckage and finally letting the Phoenix's wings rage around her arms. "I am the Phoenix!"

But before she could strike, Kurt 'ported in behind Apocalypse, carrying Kitty. The girl clenched a jagged shred of metal in her fist, and she phased her hand through Apocalypse's torso – leaving the metal behind. Apocalypse bellowed, and for a moment all three were consumed in a flash of blue – but when it faded, Apocalypse was standing over their prone figures.

_A familiar face and a new one_, she remembered grimly from the vision._ Now Tabitha…_

Sure enough, Tabitha leaped out of hiding with a cry and launched a barrage of her marble-sized explosives at his feet. He took an unwilling step back from their power, but before he could be caught off-guard again, the cars she was hiding behind compacted and she was trapped between them.

Over the towers flew Magneto, arms outstretched, hurling shredded bits of car and wiring at the gathering X-Men like shrapnel. Sabere spotted Mystique for the first time, wielding a sword in each hand, slashing and dancing around Colossus and Psylocke.

And there, silhouetted by the rising sun near the top of the Chrysler Building, was Angel. She couldn't see what he was carrying but she knew from the vision – he had the sun in his favor and he would swoop in and stab Apocalypse with the massive length of sharp wire, like a spear –

_But not now – this is it, the moment, the end – _

_"Jean!" _she screamed, heart and mind, as she watched Magneto turn on Angel, exactly like she knew he would –

_The end – _

The X-Men broke ranks, hearing her message, some wondering if they should bother and others desperately hoping that they'd live to go home and mend their wounds –

Sabere found herself surrounded as Apocalypse and the street around him vanished in a blinding shockwave, and Sabere felt the Phoenix merge her shields with Jean's and Psylocke's and she could only wait those few milliseconds, not breathing, wondering hope against hope if it would be enough –

The explosion hit her, kicked her back, knocked the wind out of her and battered her mind, her shields, losing her will in a raging rush of blue pain but it passed –

"God in heaven." Someone whispered faintly from the smoking concrete, but Sabere didn't even have the strength to think about a response.

_I'm alive…_ And then there was peaceful blackness.

-----

She didn't know how many hours it was later, but somehow they all managed to stagger back to Central Park and into the jet. When Sabere opened her eyes again, she was sprawled across her seat in the jet, every cell in her body aching and her synapses begging for relief.

_I'm alive._

It was only the sheer amazement at that statement that gave her the strength to haul herself to the elevator, up the stairs to her room, where she collapsed in her torn and dirty uniform on her bed and didn't wake up until the next day.

-----

A language Kurt didn't recognize was yammering from the TV. He rolled over and gazed blearily in the direction of the sound, and squinted at the outline of the woman sitting on his bed.

"_Wie viel Uhr ist es?_" he asked groggily.

"I'll assume you asked what time it is, and according to the clock, it's almost three in the afternoon, tomorrow."

Kurt thought about this for a while but it hurt too much. "_Was?_"

"We fought Apocalypse yesterday and we've all been mostly unconscious since then. It's three in the afternoon tomorrow, according to the last thing we remember. Oh, and try not to move – Jean says your burns aren't looking so good and whatever Apocalypse did to your head at the last minute is pretty nasty."

"_Liebchen?_" he asked finally.

"I hope you remember how to speak English," Sabere replied. "I'm serious – try not to move. There's no way to explain how we survived, and none of us is in especially good shape."

He finally noticed her voice was shaking and stretched out a hand. "Sorry. What's on the news?"

Sabere scooted closer and took his hand in both of hers. "All the news stations are pretty much wiped out around here. This is some random Middle Eastern channel – I think they're saying it's the end of the world but there's some good footage." She paused and took a trembling breath. "The city was completely flattened. No one even wants to try to get close and look for survivors – even the White House doesn't know what to do about it."

"Up to us, then," Kurt whispered.

Sabere nodded and squeezed his hand. He tried to focus and found himself wondering why she was shaking.

"Sabere, are you okay?"

"No," she murmured. "We should have died. I don't know why we didn't. I don't know what's in store."

She smiled half-heartedly and left, turning the TV off behind her.

As he slowly drifted back to sleep he realized he should have asked about the Phoenix, but then the blackness overcame him again and he slept.


	26. 26: A Difference of One Life

Chapter 26: A Difference of One Life

Over the next three or four days, the X-Men slowly recovered. The three telekinetics were the hardest hit – they had been the ones holding the shield against the explosion that should have ended their lives. The infirmary was packed – the wire Angel had intended to spear Apocalypse with had been turned on him by Magneto, and he had a bad stab wound in his abdomen; Tabitha had fractured or broken almost every major bone when Magneto crushed the cars and had been put in a full-body cast by an overtaxed Jean; Scott had several broken ribs and third-degree burns on his legs; Storm had apparently been knocked out of the sky by Pyro and had her share of burns, plus a broken leg. Kitty, like Kurt, was mostly comatose in her own bed, suffering from whatever Apocalypse had hit them with in those final seconds. The rest of the team suffered scratches, burns, and sprains that had been haphazardly bandaged or just ignored to make time for helping others. Logan, who of course had healed the fastest, had somehow arranged a telepathic lesson with the barely-conscious Jean and had managed to fix most of the major wounds himself while everyone else was still exhausted or unconscious.

Sabere's strength slowly returned, but she only had healing energy for a few injuries per day. Like most of the X-Men, she often found herself suddenly dizzy and woke up on a couch somewhere with sun in her eyes. The news was constantly on somewhere, a few English-speaking stations reporting a jet previously connected to mutant terrorists that had entered and left New York after much fire and exploding. The rest of the world was not keen on entering the conflict on American soil, especially when most of their own efforts had been thwarted at home. The White House was an endless yammering battle on how to face this "new terror" without anyone ever suggesting anything.

The X-Men slowly began to accept that the only option was them.

By the start of the last week of February, almost everyone was recovered. Rain pounded the windows – nothing new – and Sabere studied the footage on the news endlessly, looking for weaknesses, possibilities, all the time knowing what their only option was.

Scott finally shut off the TV when Sabere woke for the second time around two in the morning, sprawled over the arm of a couch in the common room.

"Find anything?" he asked quietly, sitting down opposite her.

"Nothing we didn't already know. Scott," she insisted, "we need Xavier."

He sighed. "I guess – " He looked out the dark window, searching for words. "I know what it did to Jean, and I'm aware of what it could do to you and the rest of us. If this Phoenix wants to help, great, but – think of the consequences."

"My life for the world seems pretty fair."

"Unfortunately, it's not just about you. The Phoenix just wants to stay in a human body – "

"Jean told you that!"

" – and I've already told the others that if it takes control of you, if it endangers what we've been working for – you'll be killed."

She stared at him in shock. "You would do that?"

Scott shrugged and left the room.

-----

Later that morning, after trying to sleep through nightmares of betrayal, Sabere found herself back in the kitchen. The sunrise was invisible under clouds, and it would be another dark, gray, cloudy day.

The Phoenix paced her mind like a furious panther. It insisted, over and over, that it was to be trusted, that the X-Men would only kill her for helping them, that it alone had the strength to save them. Sabere simply sat in the quiet corner of her mind and wondered. Would she lose control? What would the Phoenix do to her if it did? And if it came to that – would they really kill her?

_It's time to prove it,_ the Phoenix urged in her mind. _Time to solve this. You know what the answer is._

She turned from the window and strode towards the elevators.

"Sabere." Kurt was waiting in the shadows by the stairs.

"I have to go." Her voice was mechanical and impatient, the words not hers. The Phoenix was ready – and it was getting angry –

_Stop, please, just for a moment – I want my mind back – _

She managed to stop her determined stride and turned back to face Kurt. "We both know healing Xavier is the only choice we have left. We need him – "

"' – to fight Apocalypse,' yes, the same thing, over and over." He paused, then turned away, eyes cold. "If you will not listen to me any more I have nothing left to say."

_Not him!_ The possible betrayal of Scott or Jean she could accept, but Kurt, her love and anchor –

"Please, Kurt," she pleaded, finally shoving aside the Phoenix and letting out her own words for the first time in too long. "I know I haven't shown it, but I'm terrified. There's so much – we survived New York, which I had never dreamed would happen, but there's Xavier – and the Phoenix…. It loves being in a human body, Kurt. And I think…" She reached out and turned him back to face her. "It loves being _loved._ It came to me through my ability to heal, and the relationships that causes – and it saw other relationships, and saw how other people love."

"It does not love," Kurt muttered. "It is only here to do its will and then leave."

"Maybe, but it came to help Xavier – because so many people love him."

"And what about the rest of us? What about you? Why are you so confident it won't kill you like it did Jean? What if it likes your power and doesn't leave?"

Suddenly Sabere's mind was swamped with images and memories that were not hers – they were Jean's – the Phoenix had pulled them together, screaming, the power too…and Sabere saw Jean and Scott, Jean and Logan, Jean with her hand outstretched against the flood, knowing that her death was the only way to save her friends and resolve her tumultuous love.

The Phoenix came because Jean loved her friends enough to die for them – but the Phoenix let her die because Jean's love was not balanced, not resolved –

Not unwavering and dedicated like Sabere's and Kurt's.

The Phoenix would not kill her because her love was _right._

_Oh._

_There is your answer,_ the Phoenix said wistfully. _I had almost forgotten it myself._

And quite suddenly, Sabere was no longer confined to her distant corner, watching the world.

"Sabere?"

She shook her head, smiling, and flung her arms around him to kiss him more passionately and determinedly than ever before. "There's something I need to take care of." And she ran down the hall to the elevators.

"Sabere, wait!"

The doors opened, and Sabere half-expected Kurt to already be there, waiting. But the hallway was empty and silent. Sabere headed quietly towards where Xavier lay in the infirmary.

She stood alone in the solemn room, watching dust float through the single light that cast on Xavier's inert body. Stepping silently forward, she laid her fingertips on his forehead, watching them glow orange as the power yearned to being work. Awareness grew in here – she felt cells, life itself, speaking to her, binding her, spreading her across a miniscule, vital world –

She sensed Kurt enter the room behind her, tense but surrendering. "Do you know what you are doing?" he asked softly.

Sabere looked up at the light and felt it wash across her face and shoulders in a rush of the Phoenix's fire. The words that left her throat were hers, but the voice was the power's – she only hoped he understood it, because she didn't know when she'd be able to say anything else.

"I love you, and that's all you need to remember."

-----

The Phoenix wrapped around her and soon all there was in the world was her power and Xavier's disease. Fire coursed through her fingertips, rushing through the cells of his mind, feeling each and every one on a level far deeper than anything she had worked before. They glowed, radiated, pulsating a light that was entirely Xavier and his power. This kind of focus took energy, and vaguely Sabere felt sweat on her mortal forehead and realized she was already exhausted by these few exploratory seconds.

_No time for fear._

She let her eyes flutter closed and _saw_ the damage of the tumor through an orange haze. It was huge, black and sickly, like a blob of tar stuck to the immaculateness of Xavier's mind. Stuck, and tearing away, eroding – but worse, destroying. But she never believed that the damage was permanent – the Phoenix was too determined. The cells rallied to the fire's call, and as she pushed her healing energies forward, the tar-tumor writhed and convulsed. Healthy cells pushed in around it, displacing it, eating away chunks of it. It grew smaller and smaller – the fire coursed through her hands and she was sure they were burned – and carefully, cell by cell, she rebuilt Xavier's mind.

Electricity and memories and mortal cells all swirled in a myriad wave of rebuilding. The Phoenix knew what was missing from Xavier's psyche, just like Sabere's powers knew where and how to place the cells and extract this filth that had grown in this most amazing mind. Brick by multidimensional, powerful brick, the tumor was replaced until Sabere and the fire were standing in the clean, white, health of the mind.

_It is done._

_Thank you._


	27. 27: We've Come This Far

Chapter 27: We've Come This Far

A blue figure crouched in the white. "Kurt?" she asked unthinkingly, belatedly realizing that Kurt couldn't be dead. The figure stood, resolving into a much larger, furrier person – Beast.

"They sent me to talk to you," he said with a smile. "They need you to go back."

"I _want_ to go back. I want to make sure everything worked – that I died for a reason."

"Who said you've died?"

Sabere remembered who she was talking to – a warrior who had fallen in battle – and guilt flooded her. "_You_ died well – can you come back with me?"

He laughed. "I've seen what I was there for, and what I accomplished, and I won't go back. I've found something better. You, on the other hand – you and the others still have a fight. You need to go back."

"How?"

"Just go." He smiled and held up a hand – paw. "Goodbye, Sabere. It was an honor."

Then, suddenly, she was alone in the white.

_Go back._

She turned around, closed her eyes, and opened them to the blues and grays of the infirmary.

For the first time, she felt how exhausting living was. Every beat of her heart was a strain; a mask on her face helped her weary lungs take in breath after breath after breath. And she was alone…

"Kurt." It came out as a muffled half-whisper. No one would hear…_Kurt…_

_/I've sent him down. Jean will come after to check on your progress./_

_/Professor?/_ Her heart soared with relief.

His mindvoice smiled. _/With all thanks to you, yes./_

"Sabere?"

She was too weak to turn her head and see the face she loved…and she wanted to, so badly…

"Sabere, it's me, it's Kurt." He sat cautiously on the edge of her bed.

"I know…" Again, the barely audible whisper. He smiled a little, tears in his eyes, and bent to kiss her forehead. There were needles in both arms…she couldn't squeeze his hand like she did...she couldn't move…

_/Let me help you./_

And suddenly it was just them, in a comfortable room with sun streaming in through the windows and Kurt smiling.

_/A meeting room,/ _she realized. _/We can talk./_

More than that – she _felt_ every ounce of his love, and realized he felt hers just as much. They had words now, but didn't need them – not when their strongest emotions were flowing between their linked minds.

And finally, finally, she wrapped her mental arms around him and kissed him. And between them mingled all the love and relief and sorrow and joy, joining them together, imparting far more intimacy than either of them had felt before. The meager reassurances and comforts just flowed as swirls of emotion – only the most important words were articulated.

_/I love you./_

And when they parted, Sabere found herself back in her weak body, smiling under the breath mask with tears trickling into her hair. Kurt lifted the mask just long enough to kiss her briefly, then stepped back to let Jean do her work.

"Hey," she said quietly. "How are you feeling?"

She couldn't talk anymore – a small gasp left her lips but she was so exhausted –

"I'm going to give you a shot," Jean told her. "Your body has repaired itself quite a bit, but it's had a lot to do. This will put you under long enough to finish what it needs to do. After that, you should be able to take care of it."

Sabere wiggled her fingers a little, trying to reach Jean's sleeve. Immediately she felt Jean in her mind.

­/_Will I come back?/_

The astral Jean smiled. _/You're already back. The only place for you to go from here is back to where you should be./_

Sabere felt the faint prick of a needle in her shoulder and immediately dozed backwards into a warm blackness.

-----

As soon as she opened her eyes, she found herself amazed by the details of her clock. The red rectangles that joined into numbers, which meant a time – specifically, 4:17, nine rectangles, two dots, all telling her when she was in time and space. Now 4:18.

The Phoenix was gone, and into the empty openness it had left behind Sabere was throwing detail. The weave of her sheets, the dust on her lamp, beyond to the clouds out the window with its stained wood frame.

Her own mind again…the Phoenix had kept its promise.

She sat up, inexplicably feeling tears in her eyes. Gratefulness, she supposed – or just amazement that it had all happened as it should. Xavier was healed and the Phoenix had spared her. Still dazed, she swung her legs over the bed, absorbing the feel of fabric pajamas against sheets and her bare feet into slippers. One step, two steps, towards the door, watching the carpet move and feeling the cold dusty brass of the doorknob. Memories of this room – the hole in the wall from the drug attack, her shredded mattress, knives stabbed into the doorjamb – and Kurt, the anchor through all the chaos…

Out into the quiet hallway, doors on all sides, more of the burgundy carpet, lamps on the walls. She kissed Logan at the end of this hall, by the stairs…

"She lives," a soft voice said.

Logan was a distant, locked-up memory, and Kurt, the shadow by the door, was everything real. She felt his arms fold around her waist, hugged her own around his shoulders, and idly fingered the thick indigo ponytail.

"So," she asked finally, as the sense of detailed infinity faded. "What did I miss?"

"It's a stalemate," he told her. "Apocalypse has not budged since the battle, other than to shield New York City. No one has gone near him, and demand for the cure is dwindling."

"Do we have a plan?"

"Not yet. Although," his eyes sparkled. "You could go ask Xavier."

She smiled, kissed him, and went downstairs to find the professor.


	28. 28: Plan B

A/N: You think you know. You might - but most likely, you don't.

Chapter 28: Plan B

Xavier let his wheelchair carry him idly through the gardens, stopping at last among his beloved roses. One of the younger and more troubled girls, a child who'd come from the inner city with the power to work with everything green and growing, had helped him plant a new bush for every student who passed through his school. Jean's roses were near the back of the garden, with his own plant and Scott's and Hank's. He'd seen them every summer, all the years they'd been his students, and even though they were just green bushes in the February chill, he remembered their flowers. No one knew they had personalized rose plants – Xavier could imagine how some of them would react, especially Logan. But some, like Sabere and Jean, he sometimes wished knew. He had chosen huge brilliant scarlet blooms with peach-colored hearts for Jean, representing her warmth and strength. Sabere's flowers were similar, a rich soothing burgundy that lightened to light pink to white hearts. He saw now that his choice was correct. He'd hoped to capture her loyal core, which was sometimes hidden under a thoughtful surface. When her visions weren't the cause of the problem, she was the voice of reason after Scott – her voice based on emotion and his on tactics. But she'd also proven herself just as fiery and loyal as Logan, hence the heart of the flower. Being at the mansion for such a comparatively short time had not held her back from making decisions based on the loyalties and affections that he saw in his first students.

It was that same loyalty that brought the X-Men together even now, facing a threat on one really expected them to defeat. Of course there was always a change they'd somehow win – they'd done the impossible before – but Xavier had slowly begun to say goodbye to his dream, and his roses.

His students.

Not one had deserted, he realized. Even with Sabere's constant terrifying visions and the government's untimely release of their cure, everyone had stayed together. Even Rogue, who had come back from the hands of their enemy, confident in herself and her abilities and ready to pay the price that came with her phenomenal powers. She'd quickly returned to her usual spunky vibrancy, determined to help the team again.

She was their joy, Logan their unexpected fiercely loyal soul, joining Jean, the heart, and Scott, the leader. Storm, the fire, the determination. Rogue, the quiet passion. Nightcrawler, the faith. Sabere, the unconditional loyalty that drew everyone to a hopeless but necessary cause.

He felt tears in his eyes. If Erik had only gotten a taste of the loyalty and determination and love in this mansion, things might have ended differently…if he only saw that loyalty existed to more than a cause – rather, to people…

"Professor?"

His subconscious had sensed Sabere coming, but the rest of him had been so wrapped up in memories and might-have-beens that he jumped. He turned with a real smile.

She didn't look good, though. Almost a month in a coma had taken some weight off her already slender frame, and she looked pale and exhausted. But Xavier, sensing what the headblind couldn't see, knew that while Sabere was tired, she was also brimming with determination – determination to see this thing to its end. She smiled back, and it did wonders to her worn face.

"I had to see for myself," she said quietly. "Did it really work?"

Xavier nodded and let a taste of his gratitude seep into her mind as he spoke. "I owe you a great debt, Sabere."

He knew she could feel how thankful he was, but she shook her head. He felt fear again, old and masked but still present.

"The Phoenix left. I was expecting it to kill me like it killed Jean, and it kept talking about a price – but it healed you and left." She wasn't asking for advice, because she knew he had none. She was just reporting – or confessing.

"It's done, and now we can go forward," he assured her with the usual false confidence. He was tired of promising everyone it would be fine. "Now we take the next steps."

"And walk them well," she agreed reminiscently, and with a small nod, wandered out of the garden.

Xavier looked back at the closed rosebuds and wondered about his own next steps – his plan and his last hope.

-----

The next day, Sabere was rested enough to get back to the Danger Room. It had been a quiet month, and without Beast to design new training simulations for them, the X-Men were bored. Apocalypse hadn't budged, and Kurt had been taking Gambit to New York to, as he put it, snoop. Of course, he had not told Sabere about their little missions – no reason to worry her now that she was finally awake. Besides, they'd been successful. Gambit was a born and bred thief, and could break into anything.

He broke the news at their next Danger Room session. Xavier gave him the floor after explaining what they'd been up to (Kurt couldn't avoid Sabere's accusatory glares), and Gambit stepped up with a confident grin.

"So 'Pocalypse took over NYC," he began. "Put up those nasty blue shields like Paree an' London an' Cairo. The blue man an' I have been exploring, and – " he paused for effect, still beaming. "I can get us in."

"Into the city? How?"

"The docks. One of the docks sticks outta the shield a bit, and we can wiggle our way under that an' get in an' kick his ass for sure this time."

"Kitty, how long do you think it'll take to design a simulation of this one?" Scott asked. Despite the fact that Kitty's powers made her an enemy of circuits everywhere, she was a computer geek and had taken up tinkering with the Danger Room in her spare time.

"Depends on how much I'd need to write…if I can just work it into an existing program, it'll be shorter…"

Scott nodded. "Take Remy, sit this one out. See if you can cook up a practice run for us."

He turned to the rest of the team. "Jean and Betsy are on an errand, but we can practice without them. Freestyle, I think."

"Starting us off easy, eh?" Logan asked with a smirk.

"Enjoy it while it lasts."

The lights went off, and when they clicked back on, the Danger Room was a riot of whirling blades, trip wires, tasers, and lots and lots of guns. Kurt noticed a grin slide onto Sabere's face, an adrenaline-fueled battle grin, and dared a smile back.

"Welcome back, _Liebchen_." They threw themselves into the fray.

This was one of the more chaotic Danger Room arrangements. Some of the weapons were concealed, designed to wait certain amounts of time for the subject to get focused on another arsenal and then take them by surprise. The idea was to make sure the X-Men stayed aware of their surroundings at all times, but these sessions usually ended in blood.

Logan, on the other hand, wasn't at all concerned. He leaped like an animal from threat to threat, slicing metal and dodging bursts of flame. Sabere, Kurt noticed, was taking it a bit easier – she was heavily shielded and tended to stay in one place, waiting for danger to come to her. But he saw her confidence and strength coming back, and soon she was airborne, flinging telekinetic bolts at anything she could see. He decided to move in and see what damage they could do together.

Two guns tracked Kurt, as he predicted, and he leaped forward. Suddenly two lines of fire sliced through his side, and then he was across the room. He'd let something slip, lost his focus, and now he was hurt. Somehow he had unconsciously 'ported himself across the room, and he lay against the wall, and was more in shock because of that experience than because of the injuries. He spotted their cause a few feet away – the rotating blades, the hidden ones that had popped up out of his peripheral vision.

"He's bleeding!" Rogue called.

Sabere was already on her way, the blue healing glow circling her hands. Logan jogged over for a look. Kurt watched the blood flow freely, surprised at how bright it was against his dark skin.

The wounds were, in a word, weird. Both blades had gouged two inch-deep cuts across his side, but when he'd ported, the blades had passed on through and the cuts simply ended. That must have been how he'd survived Stryker's bullet, he realized. These weren't too dangerous, and Sabere could heal them easily.

And she did – too easily. She traced two fingers in a V, down both cuts and blue skin sealed flawlessly over both. The healing glow flared white and was suddenly fiery orange – and Sabere's eyes unfocused. She let her hands fall to her lap as he scooted upright, staring at her.

"Sabere." Logan tensed, fists clenched, and watched as she let the tiny flames dance harmlessly around Kurt's wound, her hands, on the cold floor around them.

"You said it left," Kurt added. She ignored them both, eyes vacant but holding a buried fire, and Logan shot a glance at Kurt before lunging forward to pin Sabere to the ground.

"What the…get _off_ me!" She struggled underneath him for a moment, then her eyes flashed blazing flame and Logan flew back twenty feet. Kurt braced himself, but Sabere had clapped her hands to her mouth in horror. Her eyes flew to Kurt, their fire gone, and he didn't know what to say.

"Bloody…_hell_." Logan got to his feet stiffly and cracked his neck. "I seem to remember you telling us all that the Phoenix left after you – it – healed Xavier. So…" His voice was dangerously calm. Kurt was tempted to stand between the two, in case of a fight.

"How did you just do that?" Logan finished.

Sabere shook her head, eyes wide. "I don't know how. It was just reflex, I swear, I didn't even think about how much energy I was using…and when you attacked me, I didn't know, I just tried to push you off, I didn't know you'd go…"

Kurt would have been angry if Logan wasn't already enraged. "How long has it been back?" Kurt asked calmly, quietly, so Logan wouldn't try to get the truth out of her with claws.

"I don't know! I didn't know it was back! It hasn't said anything!" Her eyes swam with tears, and Kurt knew she was telling the truth.

"We will have Xavier look at you," he said quietly. "Maybe he can find out what it wants."

"What it wants…" Logan snorted. "It didn't get the life in wanted in trade!"

Kurt shook his head against the wave of cold fear that washed over him. It hadn't taken her the first time, it wouldn't take her now…not now that they had only this last battle.

"It'll be fine," Sabere pleaded. "Please, I know I've been nothing but bad news for the past few months, but we can do it this time. It'll work. I'll take care of it."

Logan didn't look at her. Xavier rolled in, but before anyone could explain anything, Storm and Betsy ran in behind them, both still in street clothes.

"Professor, maybe you can explain this," Storm said with dangerous calm, holding up a small white box. The label said Bishop Pharmaceuticals.

Xavier sighed. "A leftover sample. I requested it."

"Why?"

"Apocalypse. He may be powerful but he is still human – or rather, still a mutant."

The others were not easily convinced. "The British already tried that."

"We have a unique advantage," he said with a smile, feeling for once that his confidence wasn't feigned. "We have the X-Men."

"Oh, and here's another surprise," Logan added with a scowl. "Guess what? We still have the Phoenix, too."

Kurt watched as Sabere folded her arms and clenched her jaw. He wanted to punch Logan – and he'd take the broken fingers gladly – for revealing it like that, shattering so many assumptions and hopes in public, with Sabere now grappling with the revelation that she was still not alone in her head.

Xavier didn't speak. The X-Men stood waiting, everyone watching Sabere as if expecting her to burst into flame and destroy the entire mansion. Finally Xavier spoke.

"I know."

"What?" she gasped, fists clenched. "But…in the garden, why didn't you…?"

"I wasn't sure at the time," he said gently. "I had hoped it was just residue, but I could sense the change in your attitude, in your combat performance."

She shook her head and wandered away from the group, arms folded. Xavier kept talking, still calm.

"We have to look at this as an advantage. With this drug and the Phoenix's power, and the possibility of taking Apocalypse by surprise, we have a chance."

We_ may, but does she?_ Kurt thought, knowing Xavier would hear him. To his surprise, Xavier didn't answer. The rest of the X-Men stood awkwardly, no one knowing what to say. Sabere was pacing across the end of the Danger Room, and as Kurt watched, she began to leave glowing red-hot footprints smoldering on the floor behind her. With a quick glance at the professor, he 'ported across the room to stand in front of her.

Her eyes met his, but the familiar green had an unfamiliar madness that ran deep.

"Sabere?" he asked quietly.

"I'm sick of it, Kurt," she whispered, her eyes flicking around the room, as if looking for an escape. "I want my mind back."

"I know you do, but sanity isn't a luxury many of us can afford to have right now," he said, his hands on her cheeks. He was trying to be funny, responding with humor like he always did. He didn't know what else to do.

"I'm not me anymore," she gasped, her eyes finally meeting his. "I can't think straight, all I see right now is fire – "

Suddenly her skin was too hot for him to touch, and he pulled back in surprise. The floor of the Danger Room glowed under her feet.

"I want it out!" she screamed, falling to her knees, and Kurt barely had time to leap back as a column of flame roared up around her.

Then, abruptly, it was gone, and Colossus strode calmly forward to lift Sabere's limp body from the still red-hot floor.

"She'll be fine," Xavier told them. "I've put her out for a while."

"What about the Phoenix?" Logan asked.

Xavier shook his head. "It's still there," he sighed, "and even if I could make it leave…"

"You wouldn't?" Logan growled. He clenched his fists and Kurt hoped he wasn't about to attack the Professor. "It's driving her insane, it's probably going to kill her, and you're just going to leave it there?"

"She wants me to," Xavier insisted.

Kurt actually did have to restrain Logan this time. "Did you not just see her nearly blow up the Danger Room, she hates it so much?" he snapped.

"She wants it out, but she wants to help, too," Xavier said softly. "I think she's still willing to pay its price."

"You're going to let her die."

"I'm going to let her do as she sees fit," Xavier retorted. "Believe me, it hurts me just as much."

"No," Kurt interrupted. "It doesn't."

He shoved Logan's arm away and 'ported out into the cold.


	29. 29: Willing

Chapter 29: Willing 

Sabere was playing with fire. She'd awoken from her fit in the infirmary, but hadn't waited for anyone to come check on her. She slipped quietly back upstairs to sit in one of the common rooms, curling up near the fireplace to watch the flames and hate them.

Kurt was trying to find her, but she made sure he never knew where she was. She wasn't sure why she wanted him away from her, but it just seemed easier.

Everything was too complicated now.

She took the ring off her finger and rolled it between her palms, watching the flames climb higher.

"Look, Phoenix," she whispered at the empty room, at her own mind. "Fire. You like fire. Why don't you just pop in there and get warm and leave us all alone?"

Her voice caught on the last words and she felt the ring grow warm in her hands. It had all been so simple…even after it had gotten more complicated, it was simple, because Kurt was there. Now she had to make a choice that really wasn't a choice at all – let herself go and save everyone, or save herself and lose everything.

The Phoenix noticed Jean come in, but Sabere didn't. When the older woman laid her hand on Sabere's shoulder, she responded with fire. Fortunately Jean had been ready for it, and her shields easily dissipated the blast.

"It almost has you, doesn't it?" Jean murmured, kneeling next to her. Sabere returned her ring to her finger in answer, twisting it around and around with her other hand.

"Sabere, there's a way out of this," Jean said softly. "Give it to me."

She shook her head, watching the flames flicker. "I don't have a choice."

"It's taken me before, just try," Jean argued. "I know how to deal with it, and I can tell it what – "

"It'll just kill you again." Sabere turned back to Jean. "It came to me for a reason and it still wants its payment. I have my end of the bargain to uphold."

Jean shook her head. "I won't accept that. In the battle, after it's done – can't you push it into Apocalypse or something?"

Sabere felt a flash of anger, remembering her coaxing, wishing she could shove the Phoenix up that chimney, and still feeling that the Phoenix would willingly go if there really was another option. "There isn't a way out of this! You think I haven't thought about – "

"What about Kurt? Did you think about him?"

The words hit Sabere like a kick in the stomach. Her right hand trembled and clasped around her left. Kurt, her love, her anchor, her first true joy since the accident, the only reason she bothered some days…oh, Kurt…

"Sabere, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" She vaguely realized Jean could sense everything, but she was so…so tired, so sick of being afraid of the future and hating, completely hating with every beat of her heart, hating that she knew how this would end.

"You're going to do it, then?" she whispered.

"You did," Sabere replied, remembering the Phoenix's memories of the lake. "There was never a choice to begin with. Not for either of us."


	30. 30: The Final Trumpet

Chapter 30: The Final Trumpet

Though the secret burned in her as much as the power of the Phoenix did, Sabere said nothing. She wasn't sure even Xavier knew beyond his suspicions – if he didn't know the truth, he didn't want it.

The mansion was busy plotting their final stand. Apocalypse was still enjoying his unchallenged reign, and none of the world's governments had made any attempt to threaten him. Sabere suspected they were all waiting for the X-Men. It was strange, she thought bitterly, that the rest of the world was so anxious to idolize the X-Men when they were the last hope. When everything went back to normal, she supposed they'd just be freaks again.

And, ironic above all, their last hope was the cure that had been intended for them.

The sample Xavier had requested had been placed in a makeshift bomb, assembled roughly by Scott and Kitty. He had gathered the team and was explaining their final plan. No one was really sure that the cure would work, especially since an entire army had failed to bring him down with it. The X-Men passed the bomb around, examining it as if they could find proof that it would work.

"Didn't the British have this cure weapon too?" Logan asked dubiously.

"No," Scott answered. "Theirs was basically a nuke loaded with cure instead of plutonium. This one's unique."

Sabere studied the small bomb in Angel's hand, roughly the size and shape of a softball, with a few protruding legs for support. "How does that work, anyway?"

Angel held it up for the others to see. It was Beast's design, apparently something Xavier had asked from him in secret and now something he had left behind for them. Scott explained its mechanics. "Pull this pin, then run, fly, shield, anything. It's a bit like a Claymore – seven seconds, then it spits tiny syringes of cure out in all directions."

"So how do we make sure Apocalypse doesn't just cure all of us instead?"

"We're using Kitty," Scott answered. Kitty looked up, shocked – apparently her major role in this battle was news to her, too.

Scott continued, "She'll get close enough to Apocalypse to phase the bomb inside him."

They all stared at him. There was almost a full minute of silence before Logan finally spoke.

"There's no way it can be that easy."

"We'll find out, won't we?" Unspoken was their hope that the Phoenix would provide adequate backup if the bomb failed. Sabere studied the small contraption and didn't bother to hope that it would save her from her role in this battle.

-----

The X-Men left the mansion for their last battle on a mostly frozen day at the end of February. Ice crackled and fell through the basketball court as the assembled team entered the jet. Sabere wouldn't let herself think – instead, she focused on the Phoenix. It was still warm, but the clouds and cold were discouraging.

"Storm," she said quietly. "When we get there, once it's all ready – I'll need sun."

"You'll have it," Storm promised, pushing the jet's controls.

This time, every X-Man had come. The students were alone, but if they lost this battle, it wouldn't matter who was left to protect them. It would all end here, whichever way the coin fell. Rogue was back in uniform, sitting next to the empty seat that had usually been Bobby's. Jean sat just behind Scott, with Logan on her other side. Kitty sat between Colossus and Gambit, staring down at the bomb in her lap. Kurt, of course, was next to Sabere. She looked up at him, but his eyes were closed and his hands were clasped around his rosary. His lips barely moved, but she knew what he was saying, and wondered how he'd feel when his prayers failed. She reached out and gently took one of his hands, interrupting his prayers to a God who may never explain why all this had happened to him and his friends.

They landed unchallenged with a silent splash outside the furiously glowing shield and Sabere took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly, still holding Kurt's hand. Gambit had found them a way in, under a dock right off their left wing. They crept easily underneath that evil blue shield and found themselves once again in New York City. Sabere suppressed a shiver and fell in behind Scott and Jean. Xavier would wait in the jet for Sabere to tear down the shields, then bring in the jet. They weren't sure any military would come to help them after the shield was down, but they wanted to try. They all fought better under open sky.

Gambit and Nightcrawler had gone ahead to investigate. They reported back before the other X-Men had made it a block.

"Beacon's in the same place," Gambit said. "We just need to get the diversion in."

Scott nodded. "Okay." But no one moved yet. He looked up at the eerie shield. "It'll be nice to see sky again, won't it?"

With grim smiles, the X-Men divided and advanced. Sabere lingered, watching her friends turn and walk away, knowing she had missed her chance to say goodbye.

"It's almost over," Kurt whispered in her ear. Her eyes drifted closed, but she just saw the eyes of the Phoenix burning back at her.

"Yes. It will."

"Will you be okay?" he asked, taking her in his arms.

She felt his hands, one around her waist and the other around her shoulders, the peculiar fingers, smelled his hair, felt his ear against her cheek, closed her eyes and smelled the leather of his uniform. She couldn't answer, but nodded into his shoulder. He pulled back enough to meet her eyes, and she found herself remembering the first time she saw them, how scared she'd been. Now she didn't want to lose them.

"I love you," she whispered.

"And I love you," he answered.

And that was it. They were no longer lovers, they were now X-Men, and they had their jobs to do. Sabere suppressed tears and memories of quiet lakeside summers and buried them in simmering, battle-ready fire.

An explosion echoed in the streets, and she sprinted to catch up. She would have run headlong into Mystique, who was retreating, but her reflexes warned her and she froze at an intersection. Mystique swung a scythe-like arm at her, but Sabere threw up a shield and saw Gambit behind her.

"'Ey!" he bellowed, and Mystique foolishly turned. Three of his playing cards exploded at her feet, and she evaded them all – but not the last card that drifted down like a feather.

Sabere felt fire surge inside her and cast a shield around Mystique and the card. She felt herself slip out of her own mind and felt the Phoenix clench the shield as the card detonated. Mystique was gone. The Phoenix slipped back into place and Sabere didn't realize she was staring at the ashes until Gambit stepped in front of her, his red eyes meeting hers.

"You did what you had to, _cherie_," he said. "Come on – there's a battle to win."

She let him lead her towards the familiar sounds of battle, seeing fire on the edges of her vision. Maybe she'd go insane before it was all over. Maybe Scott was right, maybe she would go crazy and have to be stopped. Could they?  
Maybe that was why it had that price. Maybe it was all safest that way.

There was Apocalypse, basking in front of his beacon, watching Magneto and Pyro fight the battle. Phoenix immediately focused on John, Pyro, the being of pure destruction Sabere thought she'd eliminated before, and before Sabere could do anything to stop it, the Phoenix had closed its huge flaming beak over Pyro and his flames. When it all pulled back to her, there was nothing left but ash, and Sabere's body was encased in warming, empowering flames.

"_Sabere, no!_" She wasn't sure who shouted, but she couldn't answer – she couldn't tell them anymore that it wasn't her, that she wasn't in control. The Phoenix was ready to end this.

Magneto, seeing what Sabere's fires had done to his last ally, froze. Angel took the opportunity to drop Kitty from their hiding place, and the girl landed with the bomb inside Apocalypse – and emerged without it.

Sabere flung her hands wide and fire raced around Apocalypse, shielding him, making sure the cure had nowhere to go except into him. She heard his roar of pain and fury, and let the shields drop. The monster was on his hands and knees, shaking, but with a huge sigh he shoved himself to his feet, unchanged.

_No._

He was immune. The cure had failed. Apocalypse's face contorted in fury, and with one slash of his hand, sent the X-Men flying back in a blinding wave of blue pain. He turned with his other hand and blasted apart a building, sending the X-Men scattering. Storm and Sabere wound up huddled behind a car together.

"Got another idea?" Storm shouted over the roar. Sabere crouched in the rubble, watching the battle, fighting panic. The cure had failed. Apocalypse was so powerful he was immune. And they were out of options…

_Fool. Why do you think I stayed with you?_

The Phoenix. Sabere heard its resonant voice in her mind.

_Why do you think I came to help Xavier?_

As realization washed over Sabere, she heard the familiar shriek and felt the fire – oh the fire the warmth the power, it was finished hiding and killing, it was back, it came –

"Storm," she whispered. "I need my sun now."

She was flying again, flying upwards with a joyous victory screech, soaring over the burning city, up towards that demonic shield. No more of that evil blue – she wanted sky blue, open freedom –

She flung her arms wide and a wave of fire washed away the shield. Sun streamed in – _fire, oh beauty – _and she aimed back for the earth. She saw the sleek black jet leave the water and aim into the heart of the city, towards her – Xavier was coming.

_Get to Xavier. I will do the rest._

_Is this what was planned?_

_This is the trade. Are you still willing?_

Kurt. After everything she'd promised him… _For the world, yes, I am willing._

_Good._

The Phoenix carried her to the landed jet, to Xavier. She landed in a wash of fiery wings and stood before Xavier, who looked at her with a sad smile.

_/I thought there would be another way./_

_No other way. This will work,_ she promised. She stretched out a flaming hand, Xavier took it, and the Phoenix fire flared around them both.

They were three – bird, woman, and man, hanging in the silent vastness of a fiery heaven. The city lay in shadows around them, but there in the distance was the blue, a massive figure radiating death and devastation. They were three minds, three against one, and with the power of the Phoenix channeling and amplifying the might of Xavier's mind, there was no contest.

Apocalypse's mind was unprotected. Sabere felt Xavier throw everything he had into that evil being, at his one weakness, with the Phoenix adding its substantial powers through Sabere. The psychic rush detonated, and through a blue rush of light, she heard one last triumphant shriek and one scream of defeat. Apocalypse was destroyed.

Then the fiery heaven faded. The edges blurred, and she felt herself slump across Xavier. She vaguely felt his touch on her cheek and his presence in her mind. The world was growing brighter – that white room again, and yes, there was Hank and Bobby – and she knew where she was going. Desperately she flailed for Xavier one last time – _Kurt – I need Kurt – _

Liebchen?/ she felt faintly.

_/Kurt, I'm sorry – I love you so much, never forget it - /_ And she could hold on no longer. Hands stretched out for her and fiery wings carried her into the white.

-----

Out in the city, Kurt felt Xavier and then Sabere, heard her words, and stood in shock as she faded from his mind. Xavier left with wordless sympathy, and Kurt stood frozen and alone in the now-silent streets.

One last shriek rose in the air, and then…_oh Lord, please no…_

"It was her," Jean whispered. "The Phoenix. She did it."

Kurt didn't wait for them. He 'ported back to the jet, where Xavier sat outside with Sabere slumped on the ground, propped up against him, her hand clasped limply in his. Xavier shook his head, tears in his eyes, and Kurt stepped slowly forward to cradle his beloved's body close. Sobs shook him, and from the rest of the dead city, the X-Men gathered.

He barely noticed Jean crouched next to him, squeezing his shoulder and crying for Sabere. He barely noticed Magneto, standing alone, paying respects to an enemy. He barely noticed Logan, pacing with a contorted face.

He did notice her left hand, limp on the concrete, his ring still sparkling on her finger. He reached down with a shaking hand to take it gently from her cool finger, fresh tears spilling as he remembered Christmas and how things were supposed to be.

_I can save you, but there must be a trade_. He had never really believed it would happen – he had always thought it would be someone else, not his _Liebchen_, not his light and life.

But she was gone. He held her in the silent city and clenched his fist around the small metal promise that would never come true.


	31. 31: And They Shall Inherit

A/N: So here it is...the final chapter. Thanks, kids - it's been fun.

Chapter 31: And They Shall Inherit

That night, the mansion gathered silently around a white marble marker, erected next to Hank's and Bobby's near the rose garden. They had engraved it with her code name – the only name they had really associated with her – and the words "For The Many." Kurt placed his offerings on the cold marble and brushed the name that had been his world.

No one spoke. It had fallen to Kurt in the past to speak over the dead, but now he couldn't bring himself to say anything. He couldn't express the sudden emptiness in his heart, the knowledge that he'd wake up the next morning alone, the strange pride that she'd been strong enough to let the Phoenix save their world – and also hating the Phoenix for taking her. It was too much to feel and too much to say, so he didn't try.

Slowly the crowd dispersed. As the sun set, he was left with Logan looking down at the white stone. They stood silently, thinking, mourning. Kurt wanted to be left alone but he couldn't think straight. His mind was filled with that white stone and the woman who lay six feet beneath him. He idly fingered his rosary. Before they'd left New York, he'd strung her engagement ring so it dangled next to the crucifix – his two greatest loves, always with him, always reminding.

He didn't care that the whole world had been saved by her sacrifice. He didn't care that she'd brought down Apocalypse. He wanted her back…

"I wouldn't give up," Logan said finally. "I mean, it brought Jean back…seems like the Phoenix doesn't keep people for long."

Kurt could only nod, staring down in the fading light at the marble stone. Logan clapped him gently on the back and left.

Kurt crouched in front of the tombstone, staring at the words and watching them blur as tears fell. The candle sat unlit on the marble, next to one white rose. He ached for her – the knowledge that she'd chosen the sacrifice was a small comfort. If God had offered, all Kurt would have asked for was a chance to say good-bye. But she was gone…the one woman Kurt had ever truly loved and trusted, taken for the sake of billions.

He reached for the matches to light the vigil candle, but before he could even move to strike it, the candle wick flared and blossomed into light with the faintest of raptor shrieks.

Despite everything, he felt a smile. He reached for her rosary and heard the now-familiar clink of her ring against the crucifix. Pressing both to his lips, he searched the sky, looking for another flare of fire and yet content knowing that he'd seen enough. He needed no other sign.

"Thank you, _Liebchen._"

-the end-


End file.
